A Hylian's Harem
by GrimGrave
Summary: Link, the Hero of Hyrule, has returned after nearly two years, victorious over the cursed blade Soul Edge. Having unknowingly captured the hearts of friends both home and in distant lands, these women will try their hardest in order to capture his heart in return. Crossover Fiction - Legend of Zelda / Soul Calibur / Metroid. Rated M for future language and adult themes.
1. Homecoming Hero

**Disclaimer**: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters or their respective franchise; _Legend of Zelda _and _Metroid_ belongs to **Nintendo**, while _Soul Calibur_ belongs to **Namco Bandai**. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing fiction.

A shoutout to _**Dark Lord Link**, an awesome guy who helped me with the harem list, as well as helping me with the title, so lots of thanks to him! If you havent, I suggest you visit his profile, read a story or two. You are awesome man!__  
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**A Hylian's Harem**

**Chapter 1**

_**Homecoming Hero**_

The strong wind blew against his back. His calm, casual walking pace speeded up for a brief second as the wind kicked in, his cap waving along with its direction. The clear weather above the young man of now 19 years old was threatened to dissolve into a dark, rainy blanket, if the strong winds was of any indication.

He looked up at the sky, enjoying the still white clouds and the sun a little bit more as he walked through the thick woods. It reminded him of his younger days, in Kokiri Forest as well as the Lost Woods. The early days of an adventure he would never forget for as long as he lived. But unlike then, this wasn't another adventure. Rather, it was a journey home.

Home, to where he was now supposed to be. His last adventure had been victorious, though the sole credit wasn't his. He owed it to fellow adventurers that had helped him, as he had helped them, but those days were gone. He smiled to himself at the memories. Their laughter, their cries, their victory over a dreaded blade that had once posed as a threat to his world as well. But it was over.

The young man tugged on the reins he held in one hand, a stout auburn horse following his footsteps with no trouble. The wind blew again, the nearby bushes and thinner trees swayed along with it.

A tiny droplet of water fell on his cheek. Ceasing to walk, the young man wiped the droplet off with his finger. A quick glance upwards, and the first greyish cloud was now in sight. He chuckled to himself as he began to mount his horse, stroking it gently and caring along its mane.

"Lets try a quicker pace, alright Epona?" The horse whinnied loudly, before it dashed through the woods in a agile graze, carrying the man in green through the dense of the forest.

**:::::::**

The sky had grown darker within a few minutes. The slow build-up of rain began to ready itself for a downpour while small raindrops had already started to fallen like a sign for the bigger rain. Amidst the slowly moistened forest, not too far from where the young man had just been was two silhouettes, both depicting women. One being taller, and rather endowed in the chest area with a slightly smaller woman right behind her. The wind grew harsh, the rain fell down with slowly increasing speed, and the two women muttered under their breaths as they hid themselves in their hooded robes.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Said the shorter woman. "Do we even know where we are?"

"Yes, and no." Replied the taller woman. "There's hoof prints on the ground, as well as footprints, so he shouldn't be that far off. If we just continue in this direction, we should be fine."

"At least we are not lost…" The shorter woman said, burying her hands deeply into the warmth of the robe. "I still cant believe we are doing this. Though I don't know if its because I'm actually following _him_, or that I'm following him with _you_."

"The feeling is quite mutual. But, as "evil" as I may seem to you and the others, I am merely… Misunderstood. I had my fair reasons for wanting the destruction of that cursed blade, and my methods was…" She paused very briefly. "Unorthodox, I presume. My point is, we are on the same side, and while you are technically my rival, I share your feelings towards him. We are, in that way, the same you and I. It would be too cruel of me to try and at least not give you a chance."

"I think I understand." Replied the shorter woman, with a tone that sounded genuinely happy. "Thank you, Isabella."

"You can call me Ivy." The taller woman, now known as Ivy, said with a chuckle.

"Then thank you, Ivy. Say… Do you think _this_ is the forest? The one _Link_ told us about?"

"Hmm.. What was the name again? Kok-… Kokari Forest?" Ivy asked.

"No.. No that's not it… But I think you are on the right track."

"Hm… I guess we will figure it out eventually. But who knows. It is a dense forest after all, though I don't see any village nearby. To be honest, I'm not even sure if we are in his world."

"We should be. If I remember correctly, Link told me that he got to "our" world by travelling for miles, and… well, it just sort of traversed like a.. a waygate or something."

"That's great Sophitia. Lets just hope its actually that simple. You know, for someone who seemed like a social person, he sure left in a hurry."

"Indeed…" Sophitia, the shorter woman said. As sudden as a nearby bolt of lightning, she came to a realisation and stopped right where she was. "Wait! You don't think…?"

"Huh? What?"

"..You don't think he hurried home because… He already has somebody waiting for him..?"

Ivy shot the younger woman a mild glare. "Don't be ridiculous!" Ivy said in a raised voice, still glaring at Sophitia for a few more seconds before her gaze softened, and her eyes was filled with worry. "… But just in case, lets run for it and try and catch up with him."

Sophitia giggled as they ran, narrowly dodging logs and rocks, occasionally a small ditch in the now heavy rain. Strange as it was, she had come to enjoy the company of the British woman once they settled their differences. They could almost be called friends at this point, though they both knew that their rivalry for a Link's heart would eventually submerge and assume its true colour. But nevertheless, they shared a bond of sorts, and together they would find Link.

Link, the Hylian, (as they have learned his race to be) the Hero of his world with a courageous and good-willed heart that allowed him to carry on despite the dangers. Battle-hardened and experienced, he was a young warrior that had unknowingly swooned the hearts of many, but only captured two; Sophitia Alexandra and Isabella "Ivy" Valentine. The young warrior was a handsome knight in a green tunic, and though he didn't speak too much, was fairly easy to get along with once you broke the ice. One of the many traits that had helped him, again, unknowingly helped him to allure the two.

Ivy threw a glance at Sophitia who ran next to her. "What is so funny?" The young woman from Greece smiled back at her older friend.

"I was just thinking… of a way to lessen the blow when Link rejects you for me." Her smile held a faintest hint of smugness, a hint that Ivy noticed but simply laughed whole-heartedly at. "What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing about you."

They shared a genuine laughter in the rain.

**:::::::**

She fired a charge beam into the already damaged wall. Metallic support columns blasted apart, debris and scorched pieces flying in scattered directions. Larger parts fell on the horrific creatures that was in pursuit. Their raspy, grotesque noises echoed loudly as they got crushed or burnt to death, leaving a small smile on the woman's lips.

_´There's probably more of them making their way over here. I need to hasten my pace.´_ She thought to herself. She ran, as fast as she inhumanly could, avoiding exploding debris. She could hear the faint war cries of her enemies in the distance, but she ignored them; the whole ship they all were on would soon be no more either way.

More parts and debris that exploded around her. The heat began to rise the further she ran, the outlandish, guttural roars grew louder and her own ship was just a little further up. She entered a familiar corridor, and dramatically increased her pace. The ship was within reach.

She noticed the heat-signatures in the ceiling just a few feet from her. The two hulking creatures screeched as they jumped down, now running towards her with the intent to kill and maim.

_´Oh no you don't.´_

The woman smiled slyly to herself, if only slightly. As the creatures began to hurl themselves towards her, she morphed into ball, rolling past in-between them and returned to normal just in time to land a strong kick on one of the creatures. The impact sent it off ground right into scraps of scorched metal, causing it to screech in pain. As the other one turned around in rage, the woman fired off several miniscule blasters on it at point-blank range, ultimately destroying it, before she proceeded to shoot at the first one in its painful struggle.

She resumed running. The entrance was just ahead, and the other creatures would be around in just a few moments. Seeing her ship just ahead, the woman further quickened her running, determined to not stay any longer. As she transported herself back up into the ship, the last thing she managed to see was the raging creatures just getting out of the same corridor, furious at the succeeded departure of the bounty hunter.

"Another job well done I suppose." She said to herself, feeling relief and relaxation take over as she flied off in her Gunship. The ship flew off into the dark wonder that is the space, unaware of the incoming blaster shot that hit her ship critically. She jerked back and forth with the violent vibrations of the impact, immediately scanning the ship for the damage. She cursed under her breath, silently.

"They still had a working cannon? Damn it… It managed to hit the vital engines." _´I wonder how long it will be able to take me… I need to repair it undisturbed somewhere.´_

The ship shook tremendously as she tried to activate into a faster speed. It was almost tilting to the left side, several red warning signs started to flash on the various screens. The woman sighed deeply. "Looks like I'm in for a crash-landing. Perfect." With the loss of care and reason, she activated whatever spare energy she could and sent her ship flying off with an alarming speed, albeit shaking unsteadily. Wherever she landed, it would at least be far from any of the horrific creatures, known as Space Pirates.

_´Hopefully things doesn't get any worse from here on. But no one takes down Samus Aran that easily.´_

**:::::::**

In the midst of the merciless rain, Link rode through the last thicket of the woods. His clothes were soaked as was Epona, but not even the downpour could dampen his high spirits as he briefly made Epona top, and gazed over the field he hadn't seen for nearly two years.

"Hyrule Field… Hasn't changed a bit I see." He looked up at the hill before him. "I should pay Malon a visit later.. But first thing first. Lets get to the castle Epona." He stroke her white mane with the greatest of care. With a loud whinny, Epona galloped away through the majestic field that Link had once run all over in his younger adventures, searching for Gold Skulltulas, hunted Poes and the like. Maybe stepping by the Lon Lon Ranch for some milk, maybe visiting Malon and spend time with her.

Good times indeed.

Link smiled to himself. As his loyal horse carried him to the top of the hill, his smile grow wider. Across the distance was the entrance to the market, and beyond, the mighty castle. Home of his dearest friend, whom he longed to see again.

**:::::::**

Meanwhile, in an distant future.

The palace shook and trembled around them. Here, the spirit of the Hero in green lived on, fighting for a land that was not his by birth, but equally as important as the ancient land of Hyrule. Brave and heroic, he flung the mystery seeds at a blue-haired woman who wailed in agony, desperate to teleport away. The woman fired away magical fireballs, hoping to scorch the Hero to death, but it was to no avail.

"Damnation upon you! Why wont you just die already?!" She screamed. Hovering above the woman was a malicious shadow, a face that snarled back at the Hero.

"Your terror ends here!" He shouted back, firing another mystery seed. The woman, and the shadow, howled in pain, allowing the being that was seemingly possessing the woman come forth. Link rushed towards it, slashing his sword to injure it as much as possible.

The shadow, wounded and nearly defeated, retreated into the body which wasn't its own. The being that possessed her flashes its true eye-colour through the eyes, gritting her teeth in anger at the young boy who raised his sword at her. "You cannot win Veran! I know your weakness!"

"No… No I wont admit defeat! I will not let the Flame of Sorrow be extinguished! I have no other choice…!" The woman began to levitate in the middle of the room that was their battlefield. Harnessing the powers that her host commanded, the being inside, known as Veran, began to glow a dark, purple glow that shook the very building. "I'll just use Nayru´s powers to go _further _into Labrynna´s past! I will turn it into a living nightmare before it even has a chance to be peaceful! What then, Hero?! What can you possibly hope to achieve?! I doubt your little instrument has enough power to jump after me!" She began to cackle, loudly and maniacally as the powers manifested around them, a shimmering portal slowly, but forcefully, starting to open up.

"Let the shadows of hatred consume this land!"

"Damn it! Veran, stop!" _´I got to think of something…! If I don't, she- Oh! Well it worked before! If I just…´_

Desperately, Link fired mystery seeds at the possessed Nayru. Seed after seed smashed against her, their powers greatly affecting Veran who yet again howled in the agonizing pain that overthrew her. Her shadow loomed above yet again, exposed, in pain, and oblivious until she saw the sword being hurled towards her.

The blade pierced through the malicious shadow. As it fell back onto the palace-floor, the shadow screamed, the possessed body falling back down into Link's arms, and the being resumed her original form; a slender woman of teal skin, yellow/red eyes and clothes that was suited for royalty. Still alive, she coughed violently due to the damage she had received, glaring down at the two below her.

"H-How dare you…?! You insignificant little-" Magical bolts fired off in various directions. Startled and baffled, Veran quickly spun around only to notice the very unstable and bright portal that ranged it colours from sickly green to deepest blue. It literally crackled with energy. Energy that began to implode, creating a force that sucked in nearly anything it could, with Veran as the spearhead.

She screamed and tried to get away, but the force kept dragging her with little effort. With nothing, or no one to harness the powers of time, the already unstable powers had begun to dangerously malfunction, backfire and go wild.

"NO! NOO! THIS ISN'T THE END OF ME! IT CANT BE! JUST YOU WAIT HERO! I WILL RETURN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER! NOOOOOOooooooo…..!"

The portal glowed brightly, and with a mighty shockwave, it ceased to be. All around was the destroyed pillars and columns, cracked tiles of white marble and dust lingering in the air. The young Hero quickly looked around, wanting to reassure himself, and found nothing.

Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, was gone.

**:::**

Everything had felt like a split second, yet it could've been several hours. All around was images of various things, some familiar, most new. There was sun and moon, day and night at the same time, countless voices echoing endlessly as they all spoke incoherently. Colours aplenty in all shades decorated the empty frames.

And suddenly, it all turned into nothingness. Either it was all blind to vision, or there actually wasn't anything around. There was suddenly something underneath, something solid. Solid, but soaked, wet. Soft patches of wet all around, and a cold sweep.

Veran blinked her eyes. It was dark. She blinked again. Some light. Her body ached, but she managed to push herself up with her slender arms. Grass. That's what she had felt against her face. She stared down at the wet greenery beneath her; wasn't she in a palace?

Her orange hair fell further down her back and face, drenched in water. Confused, and angered, she pulled it back. Her crescent-moon-shaped head ornament was gone, lying just next to her in pieces. She glanced upwards, feeling the raindrops hitting her face.

She was outside, that much she understood. Had the blast sent her flying out of the palace? No, that couldn't be it. The weather wasn't right. She looked around, trying to see any indication of where she was. Panic began to bottle up inside of her; she saw an ever expanding forest behind her, and a large field in front of her. In the distance, she noticed a mighty volcano, and not too far from it was what looked like white walls. Civilisation.

She got up on her knees. A bolt of thunder flashed in the distance. She stared at the walls; there was nothing like that in Labrynna. Nothing around her was like Labrynna. Her panic emerged, her eyes widened. It all seemed to click now; the failed portal of time-travel. She wasn't in Labrynna anymore; it looked nothing alike it. Veran didn't know if she had gone to the past, or the future, it was all still unclear.

All she knew was that she had been sent to Ganon knows where, weak and nearly powerless. Wounded, cold, wet, and hungry. One of her shoulder pads had been destroyed as well, rendering her clothing to a simple, long dress that was muddy, torn, and devoid of warmth.

She was alone, in a place that was foreign to her. Without her master. Without the Twinrova sisters. Alone.

She hugged herself, trying to gain some warmth in the cold rain. At the top of her lungs, she screamed bloody murder, cursing Link and Nayru for what they had done, before she collapsed and everything turned black.

**:::::::**

He pulled the reins. Suddenly coming to a halt, Epona let out a loud whinny amidst the sound of the rain and the thunder that struck in the vast distance. Link looked around with narrowed eyes. A warrior of heightened senses, he knew he had heard something out there. A voice. A scream

He looked around. Few things stood out in this plain field; a few lone trees, a small wall, and occasionally a boulder. What he managed to see was neither. It could've been a wolfos for all he knew, but if it was only a small, small chance that it was a human, it was good enough.

He rode towards the slumped form that he now, upon closer inspection, could see was a body. His eyes widened, and he quickly jumped off Epona and ran to the body.

"What in the Goddesses names happened?! Hello? Are you- She's unconscious. What happened to you..?" He carefully began to lift her up in a bridal style, glancing down at her face. It was beautiful in a way, but the way she occasionally scowled, like she was in a bad dream, robbed it if only a little. There was no time to admire the woman however. He flung her up on Epona´s back, albeit carefully, and tugged on the reins. Luckily the market town wasn't far off.

The people outside in the market were scarce. Many had already sought shelter, few remained either in business or simply didn't mind the rain. But few as they were, many turned heads at the sound of hooves against stone, and the sight of a young man clad in green. Few knew of him, amongst them was a lone woman of tanned skin and golden eyes, with richly red hair. Through her purple facemask, she smiled tremendously as she managed to eye the man in green. She, like many others of her race, had encountered him both present age and younger.

_´Is that..? It has to be! Green tunic, green hat… There cant be anyone else. I better inform __her__ of his arrival!´_

He pulled on the reins, leading his horse after him as he wandered through the small crowds and narrow streets with the unconscious woman on Epona´s back. He made his way to the infirmary, carrying Veran while the Gerudo warrior rode off towards the desert. The doctors, an old man and his younger, female apprentice, helped him carry the unknown woman to a bed.

"What in the Goddesses names happened to her? She's freezing cold! The doctor said. "Anya, be quick and get some hot water, and blankets! We need to get her warm as fast as possible!"

"Right away doctor!"

The old man turned to Link. "Where did you even find her? Judging by the wounds, it look like someone cut her. Its not too deep, but…" He gave him an accusing stare, one Link was quick to try and explain. "No, no! It wasn't me, I promise! I found her lying out in the field like that!"

"I see… Well, as soon as we can get her warm, we can start the treatment. Luckily, she will pull through; as I said, the wounds aren't too deep. I suspect that she collapsed due to fatigue, from whatever she was doing." The young apprentice came back carrying the blankets, some hot water and various bottles. As she prepared for herself and the doctor for her treatment, the old man patted Link on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't you worry. Once we are done, she should be alright in the morning. Worst case scenario, she'll end up with a mild cold." He chuckled softly. "You don't need to worry. Just thank the Goddesses that you found her when you did."

Link nodded with a smile at the doctor. "Yes… And thank you. Would you mind if I came back tomorrow, just for a quick visit?"

"Not at all. I think she would be glad to meet the man that saved her."

"I will see you tomorrow then. Thank you yet again doctor."

"Not a problem lad."

**:::::::**

She chuckled to herself. From her point of view, she looked down at the other Gerudo members, cheering and dancing in the rain, right in front of their fortress. It looked silly, but she could relate. Rain in the desert was rare, and was a pleasant change, albeit temporary as it was. She noticed one of her subordinates riding up to the front of the fortress, ignoring the other women with quick feet as she made her way inside.

She knew it was urgent. So she waited, still enjoying the cool winds and the few raindrops that flew inside of the opening in the wall that served as a window. Moments later, she heard the wooden door slam open, a panting warrior staring at her in the doorway.

"Urgent news I presume?"

"Yes, boss Aveil."

The Gerudo boss glanced back at her subordinate. Ever since Nabooru decided to live within the Spirit Temple, this time as the Sage of Spirit, Aveil had been appointed boss of the Gerudo, and acted accordingly. "Well? Speak up then."

"He has returned.." The warrior panted lightly. "I saw him arrive into the castle market not too long ago. I left the second I was sure it was him."

Aveil turned around completely. Her golden eyes stared at the subordinate, wide with shock. "_Him_? You mean…"

"Link. He has returned."

The boss of the Gerudo felt her lips pulled into a wide smile. Link, only man who had bested the thieving race in the arts of stealth, as well as bested her top four thieves in single combat. She had seen it with her own eyes after all, and as much as she used to hate men, that display had changed her opinion, as well as her heart. Link was an attractive man. Put that together with said displays, and you had one perfect suitor for a Gerudo woman.

While she would never admit it out loud in front of her subordinates, she had become quite taken with Link. Many suspected it due to her behaviour around him, and many shared that same affection, but Aveil had been quite determined to make him hers, had it not been for his sudden disappearance two years ago. Despite his long absence, Aveil couldn't, and wouldn't forget about him.

Her feelings hadn't died.

"Are you sure it was him?! Because if it wasn't-"

"I am certain, Aveil. Green tunic, green hat, followed by an auburn horse."

"So he's back… Saddle up my horse! I only have few minutes to spare before I depart!"

The warrior looked back at her. "D-depart? Aveil, is it not a bit too soon? It is still pouring down-"

"Just get on with it!" Aveil shot back sharply. Her subordinate bowed her head quickly. "Y-Yes boss! Right away!"

The redheaded beauty spun around as her warrior took leave, heading further into her quarters. If she was to finally see her man again after such a long time, she had to be looking her best; jewels to be adorned, the smoothest and appealing clothes to be worn, and lastly the perfumes, the lipstick; everything had to be perfect. After all, she was an ethnic beauty. There was no Hylian man who could resist her charms. Especially not Link, of this she was certain.

**:::::::**

Meanwhile, in Hyrule castle, the guards patrolled the area surrounding it. The rain crashed down mercilessly on their armour as they walked around, bright lanterns guiding them in the dark weather. Having increased their security since the horrible events, these guards now patrolled the first gate, even having two small camps on the large hill whilst patrolling the road from the gate up to the entrance of the castle.

Link chuckled to himself. Another childhood memory came to mind, one of his little sneaking adventure into Zelda's private garden. Things would work differently this time however. Epona trotted onwards to the first pair of guards, allowing Link to presenting himself.

His smile was returned nearly tenfold.

There was a loud knocking on the royal doors, earning the Princess's attention. She turned towards the door as it opened, revealing a soaked guard. She stared at him with a puzzled expression, but before she could ask, the guard spoke up.

"My apologies for disturbing you, your Highness, but I bring a very important guest."

"A guest? That's a short notice… Who would come visit in such an awful weather?"

The guard smiled and stepped aside to make room for the guest. With a light chuckle, he stepped into the room, equally drenched and smiled at the blonde princess. A face he had been wanting to see for a long time, and who comically stared dumbfounded at him. Link bowed his head politely.

"Uhm… That would be me, I suppose. Hi."

She ran up to him. Despite being an princess, and thus having certain formalities and strict lines in behaviour, she embraced him tightly, a hug he happily returned. "I cant believe that you are back Link… It has been so long.."

"I return victorious Zelda. And I don't intend on going away any time soon."

Zelda hugged him tighter.

**:::**

"Did you hear? The Hero has returned!" Said one guard, a small group of other guards within the castle joining him. "Heard? I saw him! He's with the Princess right now, isn't he?"

"So he has returned? Its not just another stupid rumour is it?"

"I told you all that I just saw him!"

"Heh, _I_ guided him to her Highness's quarters. It's the real deal."

The soldiers kept talking and cheering over each other, completely overjoyed with the return of the Hero. They laughed, they whistled and spoke in such loud voices that they attracted the attention of two special individuals. Their crimson eyes flashed in the shadows.

They stepped out of the dark and approached the soldiers, who all grew silent at their presences. The taller of the two smirked, crossing her arms confidently. "What's with the uproar? Shouldn't you be out patrolling?" She flashed them a warmer, friendlier smile. "The weather is no excuse for abandoning your posts."

"Lady Impa!" One of the guards said loudly. "I-Its nothing like that! We j-just got caught up by the commotion!"

Impa quirked an eyebrow, glancing over at the younger woman next to her before eyeing the soldier again. "What commotion? What happened now?"

"I-its _him_, Lady Impa! Link, the Hero has returned!"

Their crimson eyes grew wider. Impa lost her usually confident smile, rendering her face pale and devoid of emotion due to the shocking news. She glanced down at her fellow Sheikah woman, giving her a slight nod. She looked back at the guard. "Link has come back? Where is he soldier?"

"I think he's in the princess's quarters, Lady Impa."

"Thank you." A short and quick answer. As quickly as they had appeared, they disappeared into the corridors of the castle. They both ran with an excitement that threatened to break their lips into wide smiles, an joyful adrenaline rush if you wish. Down the corridors, up the stairs and towards the royal chamber, their legs didn't even seem to grow tired. Impa pushed the door that was slightly ajar, revealing the man in green along with the princess, both who turned towards the two Sheikah´s with smiles.

"So you really did return lad.." Impa said with a smile of her own. "It is good to see you again Link."

"Impa… Sheik…" The blonde man said softly. Two familiar faces that he had wished to see as well during his long absence, and now was now standing before him with facial expressions that warmed his heart through his soaked clothes. Impa, despite being a sage, had been able to return and continue to live and serve as she had done before, but also had helped with separating Zelda and Sheik. Sheik, the mysterious individual who had guided Link through his adventures had served as an alter ego to Zelda as she hid herself from Ganondorf. With the aid of an sage, I.e. Impa, Zelda and Sheik had separated into two beings of different mind and heart.

Resulting in a fellow Sheikah to protect and serve the princess. They had managed to spend some time together before Link's departure, creating a bond of a strong friendship.

Unknown to Link, however, Sheik had seen it as more than friendship; she had a deep crush on him, and while she was never allowed to fully explore her feelings earlier, she had taken this time to come to terms. A fact that could be easily fitted in with Impa as well.

He stepped up to them smiling bashfully with his wet clothes clinging onto his skin. "Its been too long… I'm happy to see you two as well."

A small, but noticeable smile pulled on Impa´s and Sheik's lips. Impa grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into a big hug, awkwardly pushing his face against her chest due to the height-differences.

"Welcome home lad…"

He felt Sheik hugging him from the back. It was awkward, but warm. He shrugged it off mentally, and enjoyed the hugs from his friends, smiling tremendously.

"I'm home…" He said lowly, enjoying the moment of being welcomed home. Completely unaware of a new adventure that would soon crash down upon him.

* * *

A long first chapter! Whow, I never thought it would be this long! I promise, I will try and keep it at a smaller size in the future, but I guess it was neccessary this time, to give my new story a proper beginning/introduction.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it, and hopefully look forward to the rest of it!

In case you didnt got it, heres the harem in a simplified explanation;

**_Impa_** (OOT) _**female!Sheik**_ (OOT) _**Veran**_ (OOA) **_Aveil_** (OOT, the Gerudo you meet after you free the carpenters) _**Ivy Valentine**_ (SC) _**Sophitia Alexandra** _(SC) and_** Samus Aran**_ (Metroid).

Until next time!


	2. Reunion and the Sorceress

**Disclaimer**: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters or their respective franchise; _Legend of Zelda _and _Metroid_ belongs to **Nintendo** while _Soul Calibur _belongs to **Namco Bandai**. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing this.

**A Hylian's Harem**

**Chapter 2**

_The Reunion of Blades & the Screeching Sorceress_

"So Link!" Sheik exclaimed joyfully, skipping around the Hero as they walked through the corridors. The night was upon them, and as much as they all wished to celebrate Link´s return and victory, the need of sleep was nothing to ignore. They could celebrate another day when they had more time to plan the feast.

The two Sheikah women was to guide Link to his own quarter for the night however, an eager request which had prompted Zelda to stifle many giggles as Sheik happily pulled Link by the wrist and Impa simply walking closely by his side.

"What was the faraway land like? You got to tell us everything! Did you fight any monsters?" Link chuckled at Sheik´s more talkative and open behaviour. "I will happily tell you all about my adventure, once I've gotten my rest… But I can tell you, it was wide with wonders and horrific encounters of its own. I learned much during my stay." He finished with a smile.

"Sounds very intriguing." Impa commented. "We look forward to hear your tales in detail, once you have recovered from your journey. But for now…" She placed her hand on his shoulder, a smile gracing her lips. "It's good enough to see you again. You have been quite missed."

He didn't reply, but his smile said it all. The feeling of longing was mutual and had not gone unnoticed by the Hero, not once during his whole adventure.

"Here we are!" Sheik exclaimed as they reached the door. "Everything inside is already prepared for you Link."

"It is?" Link arched an eyebrow. "How is that possible?"

"Princess Zelda had this room prepared after you went off on your journey." Impa replied. "Especially for you. She never once doubted you would return. So she arranged this room for you whenever you would return."

"As thoughtful and selfless as ever…" Link smiled. "I need to thank her properly tomorrow."

"You do that." The older Sheikah said. "But for now, you should get some rest. I imagine the journey to have been long, and your clothes are still damp from the weather. Tell you what, I´ll take care of your clothes and have them dried up and warm for when you wake up."

"That would be most appreciated Impa… Thank you. I´ll just head inside real quick and change then."

The two Sheikah women nodded, watching their Hero disappear behind the door to change. Impa felt glad to be of assistance to Link, despite her back of the mind wanting to watch him discard his clothes, revealing his muscled body. As if she could read minds, Sheik shot her older Sheikah sister a scornful glare which didn't go unnoticed.

"Yes?" Impa inquired, watching Sheik still glare at her.

"_I_ wanted to take care of his gear…" She muttered, averting her eyes to the floor. Impa sighed deeply and patted Sheik on the back in a friendly manner, to coax a sense of no hurt feelings. "You could help me you know."

Sheik looked back at her senior playfully coyly. ".. Can I be the one who takes them back to his room?"

"Of course. But I will be accompanying you." The Shadow Sage couldn't help but to stifle a boisterous laughter at Sheik´s reaction. She looked like she was about to burst; a guilty pleasure of Impa to tease her fellow Sheikah.

The door opened up, prompting them to fall into silence as Link stood before them. Their crimson eyes widened at the sight of his bare, muscled chest, the only clothing remaining on him being the pyjama-pants. He held out his damp and clumsily folded clothes towards Impa with a bashful grin.

"Here… Sorry for the messy state of it all. I owe you one Impa."

"It… it is quite alright." She tried her hardest to look him in the eyes, but the bare skin of ample muscles and handsome frame was too tempting for her, despite being a Sage. She mentally chastised herself for ogling at the young man, but her affections towards him demanded their eye-candy. And how sweet it was to drink in the image of a half-naked Link.

"I am more than happy to be of assistance, Link… I shall wish you a good night, and an equally good rest. We will see you tomorrow." She took the moist clothes from him with a small smile.

"Likewise Impa. And you too Sheik. Sleep well."

"Y-Yes…" Sheik said shyly. "Good night Link…"

With a courteous nod from the young Hylian, their conversation ended and the door closed with a light slam. The two Sheikah women began to continue down the corridor, equally silent with only the faint droplets of rainwater hitting the stone floor providing sound as they walked. Neither wanted to state the obvious that had inevitably happened, their minds remaining focused on the dreamy moment of Link, in his toned glory.

**:::::**

"Curse this abominable rain!" Ivy yelled out loud, shivering under her hooded robe in the fragile shelter she and Sophitia had managed to hastily put together. The rain was merciless as it cascaded like arrows, with the wind savagely cutting the small fire they had succeeded in creating underneath their shelter.

Not knowing how much further it could be to reach Link´s homeland, the two women decided that the wisest decision was to camp for the night and continue in the morning when the weather hopefully was better suited for travelling. But the rain and wind was cold and persistent, forcing the two to huddle up near the slowly dying fire.

"As long as the shelter holds, we should avoid catching a cold." Sophitia stated. "But I have to agree with you about this foul weather… Hey Ivy? How much further do you think it is until we reach his homeland?"

The taller woman shrugged underneath her robe. "I have no clue. But there shouldn't be too much of a journey left. Once we continue in the morning, we should be reaching the borders quite swiftly. As long as we don't slow ourselves down."

"Mm." the blonde Greek woman nodded. The fire flickered against the howling wind, its yellowish-red core brightly standing in defiance to the harsh surroundings of the rainy night. The drops smacked against the cover of their shelter in an unending rhythm.

She let her mind wander to the reason of her journey; the stout, mysterious warrior known as Link. Sophitia felt her cheeks grow warmer despite the biting cold as images and memories of Link flashed before her. How they had first met in a pub, both of them trying to find information or clues to the evil blade to their sparring and moments of cheeriness.

They had a similar fighting-style, she and Link. Though Link sometimes surprised everyone by randomly and nonchalantly picking up bombs and a bow, his skills with the blade remained impressive. It was captivating to see him utilize every limb in his battles, how he deflected blows and projectiles with his shield and the techniques he used with his sword – which apparently was called "The Master Sword".

His azure eyes that could be calm, soft and passionate at one time, and sharp, focused and deadly in the next. At such a young age as well; Sophitia couldn't believe that he was barely 18 by the start of their quest, and apparently he had honed his skills since he was 10.

He was dreamy, there was no denying that. Compassionate, honourable, and courageous was his best features when it came to personality. By sheer physical appearance, he was downright handsome. Or "a perfect stud" as Ivy had put it. Ivy´s strong liking to the mystical warrior had not gone unnoticed by the other members of their group. She was probably thinking about Link as well right now, but it was alright.

They could only silently agree that Link was gorgeous as they began to fade to the dream world, without a doubt continuing to dream about their man in green.

**:::::**

She heard the bolts of thunder roar in the distance. It was a muffled sound, but she heard it still. Her eyelids twitched as she tried to open them, a faint light across from her giving her enough vision to slowly recover her sight.

She blinked repeatedly, but she remained tired and groggy. Her body felt weak and refused to move as she wished. It was warm, wherever she was. After enough time, she could make out that she was in a room. There was a few lit candles on a wooden table across the room, and a single glass window gave her an insight of the dark weather that raged outside, stained with the numerous raindrops.

_´Where… Where am I…? I don't remember… Weren't I out…outside…?´ _She thought to herself. Her vision might have come back, but her head was spinning. The limbs and sinews didn't respond to move.

_´What is going on…? Did… did someone…´_

"Oh! You finally came around then?" Said an elderly male voice. Tiredly, Veran glanced over at the short, elderly man who smiled at her, with his young female assistant right next to him. "Thank your lucky star that you were found. If the young man hadn't rescued you, you would've probably still been out there."

"What… where am…" Veran tried to speak, but her voice came out weak and dry. The doctor hushed her.

"Don't try to speak. Your body is exhausted and wounded, but you are on the road to recovery. Just try and fall back asleep young one, you will need it. Again, it is luck that he found you when he did… You were horribly wounded."

It came back to the sorceress now. She remembered Link, the damn hero who had mercilessly assaulted her with the seeds and sword, and then the spell backfired. But how? What exactly had it done? Was she even in Labrynna anymore?

"…I… Where am I..?"

The doctor sighed. "She must be suffering from amnesia. Let us hope it will only be temporary. Anya, get another hot towel ready, we must keep her body warm."

"Right away doctor!" Anya said, jogging out of the room in her haste. The doctor who remained smiled at the woman who slowly fell back asleep again.

"You just rest now, young one. Your questions will be answered in the morning. But… Just what happened to you?"

**::::::::**

A new morning´s hush basked itself over the land of Hyrule, bringing the tranquil song of circled birds in flight over the bright, blue day. Not a cloud in the sky, and the sun stood proudly on its aerial seat, its radiant beams of light showering every patch of land, every step of cobblestone and through every window of glass.

Link groaned in his slowly shattering sleep. The light of the new day lit up the room from its heavy shadows, forcing the young Hero to awake from his restful slumber.

"Wakey wakey Link~" A voice suddenly, but calmly said. Link heard it, but tossed and turned as he clung onto sleep. A hand shook him gently by the shoulder, reducing the slumbering shackles to nothing and prompting the young man to wake up.

Groggily, he sat up on his bed, rubbing his eyes to better adjust them to the light. As he did, he managed to make out that three people were in his room. He blinked. Zelda, Impa stood before his bed, whilst Sheik was next to him, holding a large, but portable wooden tray with a wide smile on her face. Impa held a small smile of her own while the princess tried to hold in her giggles.

"I guess Saria was right." Zelda managed to say between her stifled giggles. Puzzled, Link looked over at Impa in the hope of a better explanation. "Saria told us how much you enjoy to sleep in. We didn't quite expect that you would sleep till nearly the middle of the day."

The blonde man chuckled with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that… I guess I was in need of more rest than I thought." The women playfully rolled their eyes as Sheik put down the tray in front of Link, revealing the contents to be a varied breakfast; from fresh bread with various applications such as ham and marmalade to drinks.

"Because you are such a sleepyhead," Sheik said teasingly. "We decided to bring the breakfast to _you_. A healthy and nutritious meal for our growing Hero~" Link let out a hearty laughter. "Thank you Sheik… That's thoughtful of you- Oh! That reminds me!" His blue eyes shifted to Zelda. "I really have to thank you Zelda. I appreciate that you went through the trouble to prepare this room."

"It was nothing, Link." The princess said with a wide smile. "It is I who cannot thank you enough for what you have done for this land. It is the least I can do. You should eat up and get dressed; I have planned a tour around town to show you the changes during your absence."

"With pleasure!" Link exclaimed with a silly grin as he began to eat his delicious breakfast. Zelda giggled and took her leave, with Impa and Sheik to keep Link company.

Said Sheikah women shared a look of mild agitation towards each other. While Impa remained at the front of the bed, Sheik had taken the liberty to climb onto the bed to sit next to Link. "So, Link… How does it taste? I hope it's good!"

Impa cringed. _´Way to go Sheik…´ _"That reminds me lad, Malon was here earlier to deliver the milk you're currently drinking. She is looking forward to see you whenever you can afford the time."

"Of course! Man, it feels like it's been ages since last time… I got to bring Epona with me when I visit her! I'm sure she will be happy to see her too!" He looked over at Sheik. "And yes, this is really good Sheik!"

"I see, great!" The younger Sheikah said. She flashed a hidden grin towards Impa as she scooted closer to Link, talking about how she wanted to hear about his adventure as soon as possible and whatnot. Her senior on the other hand frowned; granted, she too wanted to sit beside the Hero, but she was mature enough to not sink to such childish behaviour.

_´Oh grow up Sheik!´_

**:::::**

"Damn it…" Samus slammed her clenched fist onto the screen in anger. "This is not looking good… The engines are nearly busted. I need to find a suitable planet to crash on and repair it by hand – _Crash_ being the keyword here…" She eyed the internal scanned on her monitor, her frown deepening. "I'm surprised that my ship has lasted as long as it has by now. But I won't be able to land properly if I don't find a suitable planet soon- Hm?"

She narrowed her gaze at the hologram-chart. Judging by her current position and direction, she would find a planet.

"Looks like I am finally seeing some luck… I just hope my emergency engines don't give up on me on the way." She punched in the necessary buttons, and her ship was once again soaring at high speed through the great universe. It shook violently, the screens flickered, but Samus knew she would make it. Her ship had been through worse.

"Come on… You can do it. Don't bust out on me now. Just a little further…"

**:::::**

Back in Hyrule, the bright weather continued to prevail, recovering the moisture from the last night´s rain. The grass of the field was slowly drying up and the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the faint winds danced in harmony.

Sandals and heels walked with fresh steps across the vast field. The wind gently blew across their faces, their hair danced along it, and their robes were flung over their backs, their purpose no longer needed, and for once, they knew for certain where they were.

The white-haired woman smirked triumphantly as they got to the top of the hill, and enjoyed the wide scenery of mountains in the distance and an unmistakably town with a proud, tall castle even further in the horizon.

"I think it is safe to say that we have arrived Sophitia." Ivy said coolly. "So this is Hyrule… "

"It's stunning…" The blonde woman said in amazement. "Just look at the landscape; breath-taking, no matter where I look. No wonder he might have been homesick…"

"It certainly doesn't look like England. But who am I to complain." Ivy said. "I'm sure there is even more to it than meets the eye. But enough admiration, we should try and find Link as soon as possible."

"Absolutely. Oh! We should convince him to give us a tour! Two birds with one stone, no?" Sophitia smiled a radiant smile, forcing Ivy to chuckle. "I have to agree with you on that one. Come, we should head to the town first things first."

The duo hurriedly began to descend the grassy hill, each with her own smile of excitement on their astonishing features. They had actually arrived in Hyrule, Link´s home; they walked upon foreign land, and it thrilled them like a second adventure.

"Ivy?"

"Yes?"

"Can you imagine his surprise when he sees us? I mean, here of all places?" The blonde giggled, prompting the taller woman to laugh along. "I imagine he will be quite surprised. It will be fun to see!"

They shared another heart-warming laughter as they nearly ran through the field towards the drawbridge. The rich sound of a busy town was clearly heard the closer they got, and the astonishing view of a Hyrulean market-town was presented before them. Cobblestone ground with potted flowers of various colours adorned the market, and a small but stunning fountain was proudly standing at the centre with crowds of people in foreign clothes all around in an atmosphere that seemed to yell _Welcome to Hyrule Market._

**:::::**

The market seemed to beam with life in the distance, down the road from the castle. As soon as his boot stepped onto the fresh soil, Link arched his back and took a deep breath, smiling at the familiar sight.

"I never got to enjoy this properly due to the storm, but now… I honestly feel good to back home."

The women behind him shared their respective ways of laughter. "Yes, I can imagine." Zelda said as she stepped up beside him. "It feels like only yesterday when you tried to sneak past the guards all the way to the garden. I still remember the surprise I initially felt when a boy clad in green suddenly stood behind me."

"Well, the Gerudo did acknowledge my skills of sneaking past guards. That have to count for something right?" He replied with a grin. "Oh! Speaking of which, how has the Gerudo tribe been doing?"

Impa stepped up to him to answer, a confident smile gracing her lips. "Nabooru still checks on them every now and then, but they have shown no hostility. I think that they never really served Ganon to such extent. Still…" She glanced over at Link with grin. "Those women still invade the market every now and then in search for temporary boyfriends."

He let out a boisterous laughter. "I see… As long as they don't try anything funny."

"Enough about that." Sheik intervened. "We got to show you around, right Princess?" Said woman giggled and nodded. "Yes, quite so. You should see the market Link; we have made a few changes to it I'm sure you will like."

"Can't wait to see it." Link said. "I remember running around it like crazy when I was a kid."

"You are in for a surprise then." Impa said while patting his shoulder as they began to walk down the path, ultimately leading them to the market town. The guards offered salutes to the group as they went by, some even cheered as they continued through the first gate.

**:::::**

"A Bazaar… A Potion Shop? Happy Mask Shop? Treasure Shop? Hyrule seem to have it all." Ivy said with a low chuckle. As soon as Sophitia and she had walked inside the market they had let their eyes wander with a hunger for learning. They wanted to explore everything Link´s home world had to offer, every nook and cranny of customs and culture.

"If you see an armoury, give me a shout." Sophitia said in excitement. "I would love to see their shields… Maybe I can get one like Link has!"

"I´ll keep that in mind. Though that potion shop sounds interesting… As an alchemist, maybe I could learn a thing or two…" The female duo kept walking through the crowds, eagerly observing everything around them. From the stout buildings of familiar medieval theme that Ivy was used to see in England, to the lush spots of flowers that were decorating the town. Breath-taking to its highest degree, Sophitia couldn't help but notice the stares they received as they walked.

At first she had seen it as they stood out as foreigners and shrugged it off. It was inevitable after all. But after closer inspection, she noticed that the men and women barely looked at _her_. They were looking at Ivy.

_´Is it because they find her more beautiful than me..?´ _The Greek warrior thought bitterly, sighing over the men's tiny brains down below. Then it hit her. They didn't stare because Ivy was more beautiful (some were, probably) but they stared at her in shock and bafflement because of what she was wearing!

_´Of course!´ _She thought, horrified. "I-Ivy! Cover yourself up this instant!"

The taller woman arched her eyebrow at the Greek woman. "Huh? What for?"

"You're attracting attention! An awful lot of it as a matter of fact!" They both looked around the town. Within a certain radius, all the townspeople around them stared with wide eyes at Ivy and her purple, revealing costume. The looks ranged from lustful grins to disgusted frowns, though the latter was the majority. The eyes of children were covered by their mothers, and women of nearly all ages glared at Ivy in spite.

They had become the centre of attention.

"… Surely they must've seen something like this before?" Ivy said, slightly taken back by the sheer amount of disgusted looks she received. The blonde next to her stared with appalled look.

"They obviously haven't, and even if they have I certainly don't think it's common to actually walk around in it! P-Put on your robe!"

"Why should I? It's not my fault they can't handle my appeal." Ivy said bluntly, scoffing at the crowd with a frown.

"Ivy please! The last thing we want is to get in trouble with any authorities!"

**:::**

"The town seem even more alive than I last remember it..." Link said with a content sigh. "And to think that is used to be infested with Redeads…"

"It is hard to believe, isn't it?" Impa commented. "Thanks to our combined efforts, we managed to seal Ganon and everything evil he created with him in the Sacred Realm. It didn't take long for the town to be thriving again with life."

"It's truly magnificent." Sheik said cheerfully. "Don't you agree- Hm? Princess?" The Sheikah walked up the blonde woman. "Is everything alright? You look troubled."

"It… It is nothing wrong with myself, but…" She pointed over at the large gathering of people near the centre of the market, not too far from their current position. "there appears to be something going on over at the town. I don't recall any events taking place today…"

Impa narrowed her eyes. "There appears to be a commotion. Shall I disperse them, princess?"

"It depends. Let us see what it is all about." Zelda said in a soft, but firm tone. Link and the Sheikah women followed right behind her down the small dirt path until they reached the market. The various voices of the people occupied the surroundings, muttering and whispering. Whatever was going on, it attracted more and more of the towns-people like moths to a flame. It wasn't until Impa cleared her throat that the first group of people turned around, only to be met by the princess´s Sheikah attendants, the princess herself, and the Hero.

"What is going on here?" Impa demanded. Her voice, full of command, effectively dispersed the crowds as they walked through, each and every other person pointing towards the centre of the crowd. "It's some foreigners!" One said. "That woman has no shame!" Said another.

"I keep telling you Sophitia, I refuse to put on the robe again! It's hot enough as it is and it's their own damn fault for choosing to stare!"

"Ivy please! Have _some_ decency! Just until we get out of here!"

"See that? The nerve of that woman!"

"Cover your children's eyes folks!"

"For shame! How can she walk around like that!"

_´What the…?´ _Link thought. Those voices sounded familiar. Too familiar. He must've misheard the names, but if it really was them…

As the last crowd of people moved, Link managed to spot something purple and blue. The familiarity of the two women was replaced by fully recognizable friends. Link felt his jaw hang loose in bafflement, his eyes of azure widen considerably as shock overwhelmed him. Right in the centre of the market in his home world was two warriors he had never thought he would meet again, and here of all places! Before Impa, Sheik or even Zelda could announce their presence and have this gathering come to an end, Link stepped forth, still in shock and bewilderment.

"What the- IVY?! SOPHITIA?!"

The two foreign women turned their heads towards the crowd, Link at its spearhead with a look of astonishment on his handsome face. The crowd looked over as well, shocked to see their Hero having returned, but mostly due to him seemingly having a connection to the two. Impa cast a puzzled glance at the young lad, as did Sheik and Zelda.

"L-Link! We found you!" Sophitia exclaimed. "Oh thank Zeus we found you at last!"

"Ahh, young Link of Hyrule… We meet again!" The two women threw themselves as the green-clad hero, knocking him down to the ground in their joy while Zelda and her attendants watched them in shock.

**:::**

After having had Impa and Sheik tear the women off him, Link had quickly suggested that they talked somewhere more private, away from the prying eyes of the public. After Zelda and Impa had convinced the people to go on with their daily activities and assuring them that the "problems" would be taken care of, they had moved back up the dirt path towards the castle. They had all remained silent, with the exception of the joyous giggles and chuckles form the two foreign women.

Once the coast was clear, Link sighed heavily. "I suppose I owe you all an explanation…" He motioned towards the two women. "These two are adventurers from the distant world I journeyed to. When I looked for the corrupted blade, I came across a group of likeminded fellows who also sought its destruction, amongst them was these two."

Sophitia stepped forward, and offered a courteous bow. "Sophitia Alexandra of Greece, champion of Hephaestus the God of Fire and Forge."

Zelda smiled at the girl, who couldn't be that much younger then herself, if not older. She returned the bow, as did the two Sheikah women when Ivy stepped up as well.

"Isabella Valentine, from the British Empire. Heiress of the Valentine House." She bowed in a similar manner as she had seen her Greek friend do. The bow was returned, but she saw their strange looks, prompting her to stifle another chuckle.

"I am pleased to meet you." Zelda said in her usual, sweet voice. "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. And these two are my attendants, Impa and Sheik."

"P-Princess?!" The Greek blonde nearly shouted, as she hurriedly knelt down on one leg before Zelda, bowing her head. "An honour to meet you, Princess Zelda."

"Please, stand up. No need for you to kneel before me Miss Alexandra." Zelda said with a smile. _´So cute… At least she has manners. She strongly resembles Link.´_ She glanced over at Link, then back at Sophitia. _Blonde, wielding a sword and shield, and so far honourable. It's cute in a way…´_

Her ocean-blue eyes wandered to the taller woman with a slight horrified look. _´I am not going to say anything negative about Link´s friends… But what in the names of Nayru, Din and Farore is she wearing?! It can't possibly be regular clothing from where she comes from, right?!´_

"So, you two shared the same goal as our brave lad here?" Impa said with a nod at Link´s direction. Ivy and Sophitia simultaneously nodded to affirm the question. "Yes, this young man appeared out of nowhere, claiming to look for a certain evil blade… After demonstrating his skills, it didn't take long for us to accept him into our little group. However…" Ivy shot Link a mild glare before she stepped up to him and slapped him at the back of his head, ruffling his cap in the process.

"I understand that you may have been homesick dear, but how dare you just leave without as much as a goodbye? It really hurt our feelings you know, and after we bonded so well..."

"I… uh…" Link stuttered, adjusting his cap at the same time. "I didn't realize you cared that much… thought I see where you are coming from. I should've at least said goodbye. I'm sorry Ivy, Sophitia."

The Greek blonde felt her cheeks flare up, and her green eyes averted from Link´s stared. "I-It's alright… We f-found you anyway, so it g-good.."

"What she said." Ivy ruffled his cap once again, this time in a friendly manner of simply patting him. "We got lots of time to share now, right? You can make up to us by giving us a tour of your beautiful land." _´Amongst other things, you stud.´_

"Oh, you intend to stay?" Link inquired, slowly turning to Zelda. "I… I'm not sure…"

To his relief, Zelda smiled warmly back at him before addressing the two women. "They are more than welcome to stay. They are your friends after all. Ladies, I humbly invite you to the royal castle, as guests of Link, and of me."

"Princess, are you sure? We know next to nothing-" Impa began, but Zelda intervened. "I know Impa. But they are friends of Link, whom we all trust more than anything. I will take his word that they are good people and considering all that he has done for Hyrule…" She paused. "… I think it's only fair, no?"

"Understood Your Highness." The crimson-eyed attendant looked over at Ivy and Sophitia. "Shall we show them their rooms right away? I don't see any horses with them, so I assume they travelled here by foot. Surely they could use some rest."

"Hmm.. A good nap would surely be fitting right now…" Ivy said, tapping her chin. "I humbly accept your offer, warrior." Impa didn't respond, but her grin said it all.

"I too humbly accept." Sophitia said. "And allow me to thank you, princess, for allowing us to stay despite our… awkward encounter."

"Pay it no mind." Zelda replied. "A friend of Link is a friend of mine. Come. We can give you the tour later Link, once your friends have rested a bit."

"Sounds good to m- Oh!" The women all looked back at Link, who was last in line. "I forgot I had an important promise to keep with the doctor?"

"A promise?" Sheik asked.

"Yes, I promised the doctor to visit – I explain it all later, but I really need to go! So sorry about this!" The young man shouted as he ran back down to the town, slowly disappearing into the crowds. Zelda giggled at him and began to lead the way for the group of women. They shared talks of stories, Link, and cultural differences which all was fascinating and interesting in their own right, but underneath Zelda's smile and friendly manner, her mind churned with a bugging question.

_´How can she walk around in that… attire so casually?!´_

**::::**

"Oh, young man. I see that you finally made it." The doctor said with a hearty laughter. "Decided to sleep in huh?"

"My apologies doctor!" Link said through his heavy panting. "I am embarrassed to say that I forgot! It's not too late is it?"

"On the contrary, your timing was perfect. Poor woman have been walking the line between conscious and unconscious nearly all night and most of the morning. She only just woke up properly." He motioned for Link to follow him as he walked through another door. "It is unfortunate though. Poor lass seem to suffer from amnesia. We don't even know her name."

"Oh.. I see… But at least she's okay now, right?"

"Naturally. She is all patched up and recovering. Not even a cold! But it's that amnesia instead…"

"How are you feeling?" Anya the assistant asked. Veran glanced over at her with a small smile as she tried to sit up properly. "… I feel a bit better. Thank you."

"No need to thank us, it's what we do. And the kind young man who brought you here."

"Young man?" Veran asked. Anya nodded with a great smile. "Yes. Last night during the rainstorm, this handsome young man came from nowhere, carrying you in his arms. Said something about finding you out in the field."

"…I see…"

"In fact, I think he's on his way over now. He promised he would come and visit you."

Veran´s eyes widened up a little. Her saviour would actually visit? She felt like laughing. If only that person knew just who he had rescued. Still, it would be fun to see the face of the man. Once she had recovered completely, she would rub her powers in just that face, mocking him for bringing on the wrath of the Sorceress of Shadows to this place.

Anya left the room, chirping happily after having cleaned the desk. As she went through the door, Veran heard her, and the doctor´s voice, prompting her to listen carefully.

"Ah, Anya. How is the patient?"

"She's all well and awake doctor! Oh, hi there mister! Did you come to fulfil your promise?" Anya said with a giggle, but Veran felt her eyes widen even more. Her "saviour" was just beyond that door.

"Yes, absolutely." A third voice said, catching the sorceress´s interest. It was youthful. Sounded like a handsome guy in her mind. She grinned.

"Well then," the doctor said. "Just go through that door. I'm sure she will be happy to see you."

She heard the single pair of footsteps coming closer. A faint shadow began to emerge from the doorway.

_´Poor, unsuspecting fellow…´ _Veran mused. _´If only you knew just what you have brought… You can stand there all you want, and say what you will, but once I have fully recovered, I will wipe that smile of yours away. That... handsome smile… and those… oh those sharp, indigo eyes… so befitting you, like a knight… a knight clad in green, but that could be arranged-´_

Veran felt her heart threaten to stop. _´Green garbs…?´ _She eyed the man before her up and down. She felt the cold beads of sweat beginning to appear on her person, and the breaths that in vain tried to gain oxygen.

_´Green garbs…? G-Green… Cap, boots, tunic… Green tunic! Green cap! Sword and shield?! No, No, N-NO!´_

The horror she felt overwhelmed her. She threw away the covers of her hospital bed and crawled up to the corner of the room, knocking over any objects that were in her way. Trapped with no exit, she witnessed the spitting image of Link, the Hero carefully walking towards her. His words fell on her deaf ears, with only her inner voice screaming in panic, and eventually through her throat.

"NO! You can't be here! You can't be here! Leave me ALONE! NOOOOOOO!"

"D-Doctor! Whoa, H-help! She's out of control!"

"_GET AWAY FROM MEEE!"_

* * *

I really, really didnt think the chapter would be that long. Still, more for you to read if you like this story that is. ^^

Until next time!


	3. Enter the Bounty Hunter

**Disclaimer:** GrimGrave does not own any of the characters or their respective franchise; Legend of Zelda and Metroid belongs to Nintendo while Soul Calibur belongs to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing this.

**A Hylian's Harem**

**Chapter 3**

_Enter the Bounty Hunter_

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Veran shrieked, desperately crawling further into the corner in vain. Her arms flailed with sharp nails, her legs kicked wildly if Link even took a single step closer, keeping him, the doctor and his assistant at a distance. The sorceress's eyes were wide and nearly bloodshot and her face was sickening pale.

"Stay back! No more! Don't hurt me!"

"C-Calm down!" Link pleaded in panicked desperation. "Why would I harm you? I don't even know who you are!" He quickly looked over to the equally panicked doctor. "Doctor! You forgot to mention that she is unstable as a powder keg!"

"Don't look at me!" The doctor replied in a raised tone. "She has been docile up till now! I don't know what you did, but you have something to do with it! She clearly seems to know you lad!"

They took cover behind the bed from the incoming objects that Veran tossed. Pencils, a vase, and even a chair flung over the bed as the woman continued to shriek. "But I don't know her! I told you I-"

Link didn't get to finish his sentence. Before they could comprehend the brief silence, Veran had jumped over the bed, albeit clumsily, right at Link. Her simple infirmary gown flailed with the swift motions as she ended up straddling the green-garbed man, her feminine hands barely able to grasp his throat as Link held her by the wrists, slowly prying her off himself.

"Lies! Lies! You certainly seemed like wanting to harm me before! Which you did! YOU DID! I'll pay you back the anguish, TENFOLD!"

"Doctor!" Link shouted back, baring his teeth. "She has gone into the offensive! A hand perhaps?!" Said man and the assistant immediately grabbed hold of Veran's arms, trying to pull her off despite the struggle.

"Don't try and feign ignorance! You may have changed but I know those green clothes!" Veran continued to scream. Her face, once covered in horror, was now a visage of extreme anger. "You cannot hide from me! You… You filthy, god-forsaken, self-proclaimed Hero! I almost had Labrynna in my hands had you not existed!"

Despite the slight danger Link found himself in, he shot the woman a puzzled stare while still trying to pry her hands further away from his throat. "What? I... I don't even know what this Labrynna is!"

"LIES!" Veran wailed. "You risked your pathetic life to save it! That worthless piece of landmass! And all of its mongrels of inhabitants!"

Link cursed to himself. "I don't know what you are talking about! I haven't been to Labrynna, I'm native to Hyrule! And I have certainly not met you before!" Slowly, despite the massive amount of struggle, Veran was pulled off from Link. Her hands still tried to reach him, her screaming now turning into sharp hissing noises like a serpent as the doctor and his assistant dragged her a bit away from Link. The older man turned to him, still keeping one of Veran's arms pinned.

"Lad! There's a sedative in my cabinet in the other room! Hurry and get it!"

"Right!" Link quickly got up and dashed towards the other room, trying to ignore the woman starting to scream at him again. Not only was she loud, but the profanities she came up with was quite unique, slightly impressing him for her wide, vulgar vocabulary. The Hero searched every shelf and cabinet till he found the sedative and brought it back to the doctor, whom was losing the fight.

"What do I do with this?!" Link shouted to over-voice the screaming woman.

"Just stick the tip into her arm and press the top down! Hurry lad!"

"Okay!" Link shouted, wasting no time with the task. Veran's struggle made it more problematic at first, but Link got it after a little while, once Anya and the doctor focused on pinning one arm done. Thankfully, Veran didn't seem to be one who trained her body for uses such as combat, making it somewhat easier to have her still. Even more so when she was still worn out from the ordeal she had gone through. Once Link had injected the sedative the woman slowly became less violent, though her interesting vocabulary remained.

With the help of Link, the trio carried her back to bed and Anya began to clean up the mess the patient had caused, leaving the doctor, Link, and Veran "alone" to talk.

"Damnation… Even now, you just keep mocking me, "hero"… Every bloody time…" Veran said, the sedative keeping her calm. The blonde man just kept staring at her with the same puzzled expression.

"I don't recall ever meeting you before, Miss. And I certainly don't remember inflicting harm on you either, so you will have to jog my memory a bit."

"I'll leave you two to it." The doctor interrupted. "I'll help Anya with the mess."

Link nodded and resumed his attention towards the woman. His clear, blue eyes peered to her fiery orbs which still held their malice and spite. He sighed deeply.

"Well? Aren't you going to enlighten me Miss?"

"You honestly… don't remember? It was only yesterday…" She began. "You and your disgusting Mystery Seeds… You ruined my plan…"

He arched an eyebrow questionably. "Mystery Seeds? Ruined your plans? Miss, you must mistake me for someone else. I have never heard of these "mystery seeds" of yours. Heck, all I know are those magic beans…" He paused himself, eyeing Veran over.

"Look, I … You seem to think I am someone else, but I am not. I am Link from Hyrule." He noticed her eyes widening at the mention of his name. "And I have never been to this Labrynna you speak of. Trust me when I say this, I am _not_ like the person you mistake me for."

His expression softened. Veran stared at him, confused over his gentle smile. "And I wouldn't think of hurting you. I found you wounded in the middle of the field, and I brought you here."

_´Wouldn't hurt me huh? If only you knew who I am…´_ Veran mused with a small grin. _´Still, now that I look closer… His outfit is roughly the same… His name is also Link… And yet, he is different. He who opposed me was a mere boy…´ _she eyed the man above her with a narrow gaze. Her grin turned into a smirk. _´Surely, this is a man. A proper and quite… handsome man. Handsome, but equally gullible.´_

She chuckled darkly at the man. "I can now tell that you are nothing like the boy who put me in this state. But it was a sorrowful mistake on your part to rescue me, _Link._"

He raised an eyebrow again. "And why is that, Miss?"

"I am the sorceress of shadows. I serve the great Twinrova Sisters, for the great goal of reviving our master, Ganon." She smirked further at Link's shocked expression. "And unless you kill me now, I will smother this land of yours in sorrow and darkness. After all, Hyrule was our next goal…"

She wanted to laugh out loud at his predicament, his folly and his dumb expression when knowing just who he had saved. She wondered at the back of her head just why she had told him everything; maybe because she secretly longed for the sweet embrace of death now that she seemed to be in a hopeless situation. She wasn't just far from "home". Veran was smart; she could tell by now that if this man was indeed Link, but had no roots or connections to Labrynna, then it was clear she had to be in a different time.

A hard truth to swallow, but Veran had already brushed death; to be free of this torment of a different reality would be a salvation. Pose herself as the serious threat that she was, and let the light glint on his blade as he swung it up high.

But then there was this little thing that now bothered and confused her. Link didn't show a dumb expression. He didn't seem shocked at all. Surprised maybe, but he was calm. And he smiled! Now he laughed!

She didn't understand.

"So you are one of Ganondorf's servants huh?" Link said amidst his outbursts of laughter. "Revival won't do the trick I'm afraid, since he is sealed away. Permanently." It was now Link's turn to snicker at the woman's distressed and puzzled face. "And the Twinrova sisters are dead. I made sure of that some time back now."

Veran was baffled. What did this man mean by "Ganondorf"? Wasn't his name just Ganon? And how could the Twinrova sisters be dead? "You…" Veran began. "You…what? But… How is that possible?! I-"

"It all makes sense now." Link cut in. "No wonder you acted like you did. This isn't your time." He smiled. After all, Link was no stranger when it came to travel back and forth through time. The Master Sword had been a port for it, as had his younger adventures in Termina.

"Although I would like to know just where from and how you got here, I won't pry. Just relax and know that I won't do whatever this other Link did."

"What?!" Veran nearly shouted. The sedative had started to wear off, allowing the woman more energy to move. "You… I just told you of who I was! And you don't even bat an eye?!"

He gave her a simple stare. "You are a servant to two witches that are dead, wanting to revive a master who is not only _not_ dead, but sealed away?" He answered casually. "Miss, pardon my bluntness, but you are not a threat."

Veran thought she had reached the bottom. Having her plans thwarted by Link in her own time, while severely injured by seeds and sword and ultimately leading to her plan backfired to the point that it flung her through time was a great shame and anger to carry. It couldn't have been worse.

Until now. Another Link casually just crushed her hopes and insulted her pride. Add embarrassment and low self-esteem to the burden she now carried. Her jaw hung open, her eyes widened in unbelievable shock. Now Veran was certain. She had definitely hit the bottom. _´Let any higher power above just strike me down right now…´_

"You should get some rest." Link smiled at the woman. In a friendly gesture, he reached over and caressed her hand with his, gentle strokes of bare skin against bare skin. Veran immediately snapped her head back up, staring at the man as he cupped her hand. She could feel her cheeks grow slightly warmer.

He continued. "You might have a fever from being too exposed to the rain. So just lie down and relax Miss. Actually…" His gaze narrowed, the blue eyes became icy-blue shards that pierced into Veran who was mentally overwhelmed by the sight. Link gently placed a hand on the back of her head, pulling her closer towards him.

_´W-Wait! What is he- Is he doing what I think he is?! N-No way! I-´_

Their foreheads touched, and the tip of their noses just barely grazed. Link kept them in place for a few seconds, seemingly locked in thought. Veran felt her face flare up at the contact, the sound of her heart beating as if it was right next to her ears. Then he pulled away, and she swore she felt a small tinge of disappointment.

"Yeah you got a slight fever I would say. I'll ask the doctor to keep watching over you for a while longer." The woman merely nodded in response.

"Listen, I… I got to go. I had plans with some friends so I can't stay here for much longer. But I'll come visit you again today, alright?" The blonde man smiled warmly at the bedridden woman, whose blush became deeper in its colourful shade.

"… You want to visit me?"

"Of course! I saved you, so I might as well keep helping you until you are fully recovered, right? You just get some rest now Miss."

"Oh… okay…" She replied. She averted her flame-coloured eyes, murmuring something inaudible. Link heard she had whispered something though, and genuinely curious as he was, he asked. "What was that Miss? I didn't quite catch that."

Veran shot back a mild gaze, before averting her eyes again, whispering. Link knitted his eyebrows.

"Miss, you have to speak up-"

"I'm Veran!" She nearly shouted. "… I'm Veran." While still not willing to look Link in the eye, she extended her hand in a courteous gesture. It was puzzling the man at first, but he quickly chuckled and took the hand gently into his, brought it up to his lips, and gave the knuckles a light kiss. "A pleasure to meet you Veran, despite its rough start. I would introduce myself, but you seem to already know me of sorts." He chuckled at his little joke.

"I'll see you later then Veran. Rest well."

"T-Thank you…" Was her last words as the blonde disappeared through the doorway, leaving Veran alone in her own little world. She felt her whole body, tip till toe, hot with flush as she trailed her other index-finger over the spot Link had kissed her hand. A small smile adorned her mouth.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all…I surprise myself though. I almost had him back there, had not those other two interfered… Hmm…" She grinned widely, flashing her white teeth coyly. "I should try it again when he least expect it. Only to ravage him right on the spot."

She chuckled darkly. "Oh yes. That, I should."

**::::::**

Elsewhere, high above in the great cosmos beyond the clouds, the Hunter-Class Gunship unsteadily soared. Samus checked the coordination screen, confirming the exact coordination over and over as she steered towards the destination that was now in sight. Her gunship was unstable, the screens flickered and the gently hymn of the engines had been replaced by hacking, ear-piercing screeching noises the longer it stayed in use.

"Come on…!" Samus muttered behind gritted teeth. "Don't give up on me now…! Just a little further and I will enter the gravitational orbit, and then gravity will do the rest… Come on…!"

The gunship continued is unsteady course, the engines slowly dying out as visible on the screen. It was only a matter of time before they would cease to function entirely, leaving the bounty hunter stranded in the middle of the infinite space. She wouldn't risk it.

With no other choice in facing the desperation, the blonde woman punched in the buttons, and activated the spare energy boost. With what little energy that was left, the engines roared painfully, kicking the ship into a short overdrive into the planet's orbit – the results were immediate. The engines lost their power, barely able to hold the ship still in its path down with gravity. The bounty hunter smiled coyly.

"You did it…" She said calmly, despite the violent shaking of the entire ship. "And luckily there appears to be water down below. A lake? Perfect."

She leant back in her seat and grabbed the controls; the ride would be even more violent the closer she reached the surface, and the ship began to grow incredibly warmer. Samus felt the beads of sweat forming and running down her face, which occasionally flung away due to the violent jerking of her face to the ship's large-scale vibrations.

Clouds began to pass by her field of vision. The heat grew stronger – no doubt was the outer plating on fire due to the long swan dive. The screens flickered until they went completely black, and barely any functions of the ship remained in a stable condition of usage.

She saw now that she was underneath the clouds. It certainly was a lake beneath her, crystal clear and blue as her suit. A tiny island appeared in the middle, but was out of the way for the incoming ship. Samus smiled again.

"Time to dive into the deep end…" She whispered as the ship crashed into the usually calm water surface.

**::::::**

Link wiped his brow as he got out of the infirmary. As courageous as he was, his recent meeting with this Veran-character had given him a mild heart-attack. But it was over with now at least. Which was fortunate – he had to get back to the castle.

He let out a sigh of relief, his first steps outside starting to take him to the castle's direction. "Well that was an experience I won't forget…" He said in mild disbelief. "To think that she actually is from another time… That explains her initial reaction. At least that problem is sorted out… I just pray that she doesn't freak out again the next time I visit her."

He continued to walk through the cobblestone streets in thought, contemplating about Veran. It seemed like he had convinced her that she was of no threat, but the truth was that Link knew nothing about her. He could've been wrong, after all – she claimed to be a "sorceress of shadows", whatever that meant. He had to be on his toes when around her.

Still contemplating, Link was snapped out of his thoughts as the people around him began to murmur, loudly asking and talking about something in the sky.

"W-What is that?!" A woman yelled.

"I-Is it wrath from the Goddesses?!" Shouted an elderly man.

"It's a falling star!" Several others pointed out, but equally worried. "It's not going to land here is it?!"

Link, puzzled by the people's reactions, stared directly up at the clear sky; indeed, a falling object was falling in the distance, but hardly towards them. And it certainly didn't look like a star either.

Whatever it was, Link knew he couldn't let it be. It smelled of adventure. He dashed through the crowds of civilians and guards until he reached the open field. The object seemed to have landed now, with only a thick trail of ebon smoke as a lead to where it might be. He fished up his ocarina and played the melody that enticed Epona so many times before, and certainly today. He heard her whinny in the distance, galloping towards him at the speed of the wind.

**:::::**

Water, water all around her. The speed of her ship had sent it to the bottom of the lake like a rock, the impact itself severely damaging the ship.

Samus groaned. She felt a light pain in her head and was overall dizzy. She trailed her fingers on her forehead – the pain got temporary worse. Not by much, but still noticeable. She figured she had hit her head against the panel at the impact, but she had been through worse. For now she had to figure out how to get back up at the surface. The lake seemed deep after all.

"At least it was a successful landing…" Samus muttered to herself. "Had I crashed into the ground…" Her eyes shifted to the panel. The screens momentarily flickered and they didn't appear to be broken. An idea sprung to mind; it was a long shot, but she had to try.

_´If the screens can temporarily be activated, then I might just have enough energy to make the ship float up to the surface. If I just can scrap it all together and focus it on a single anti-gravity lift engine…´_

She bit her lower lip in anticipation. She clicked the buttons and continued to shift any salvageable energy towards a lone engine, and hoped for the best. The ship vibrated, the engine purred lowly. It didn't give off much life at first, much to Samus' dismay. But suddenly, the engine let out a muffled roar, shaking the ship as it slowly rose up to the surface.

"Well done…" She patted the control-panel. "You have done well. I'll fix you up in no time."

The rays of the sun began to come into view in front of her as the ship slowly floated up. In time, the gunship was above the surface, and steered into the shores of the small island, and eventually up onto the island itself where it finally lost the last of its energy, and fell. Samus quickly got out from the topside hatch; her helmet safely tucked under her right arm, and felt the cool seascape breeze wash over her face.

She took a deep breath, exhaling it with content. A small smile pulled on her lips. "This place doesn't look too bad… Let's get you into shape again, shall we?" She said as she descended into the ship to fetch the tools.

**:::::**

The auburn horse whinnied as she carried her owner across the field, jumping over the fences leading to the narrow path to Lake Hylia. Link slapped Epona's backside, earning another loud whinny as she picked up speed.

"I'm sorry about that Epona…" Link said. "But I need to get to the crash-site as fast as possible! Whatever fell down must be investigated…" The black smoke from the object had nearly vanished into the air, but Link managed to follow it enough to see it rise from the Lake Hylia region. As he entered said region he pulled on the reins. Epona abruptly halted with another loud noise.

"What is that…?" He said to himself. He spotted the large object in the distance, but he couldn't make out just what it was. It didn't appear to have landed onto the island though; the ground seemed to be intact from his point of view.

Wasting no time, he signalled for Epona to start moving again and began to ride across the wooden bridges that connected the smaller islands to the mainland. As Link rode across the second bridge did he start to see what the object was.

And the sight of it brought a positively surprised smile on his face. He knew of that "object". Its distinctive hull lines was a giveaway by themselves, but that ship as he had learned to know belonged to only one person. He rode up to it in raised spirits, tugging on the reins to halt his horse right in front of the ship.

"You got to be kidding me…" Link said in positive disbelief. He decided to shout for the owner but before he could do that, the hatch opened up on top; the long, blonde ponytail waved in the wind, and the suit of advanced armour came into view. Their eyes, blue as the water around them and the sky above, met.

"What the-?! L-Link?!" Samus exclaimed, her smile quickly surfacing on her lips and was returned by the equally happy Hero.

"Samus!"

* * *

I know, I know. This chapter isn't as long as the others. I just thought that was a good place to end it for the time being. But I'll make up for it in the next one! ;)

As always, hope you all enjoyed reading it, and till next time! Review please. ^^


	4. Clash of the Women! Part 1

Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters or their respective franchise; Legend of Zelda and Metroid belongs to Nintendo, while Soul Calibur belongs to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing fiction.

_Also a very big thanks to all of you who reviewed chapter 3! I didn't reply to everyone but trust me, your reviews really kept me going. So thank you! I deeply appreciate it!_

**A Hylian's Harem**

**Chapter 4**

_Clash of the Women! Part 1_

The metallic box of tools was quickly tossed aside onto the ground. The helmet fell down on the flat surface of the topside ship as the bounty hunter jumped down, a small cheerful grin displayed on her lips as she rushed over from the dismounted Hylian, tackling him onto the ground.

Link let out a loud grunt as the weight landed, pressing him down onto the earth.

"Ough! H-Hey Samus… Could… could you get off for just a few seconds…?" Link said with a cough. Samus let out a short laughter, getting up on her feet before dragging the Hylian up from the ground with a wide grin. A clumsy and random reunion, but a reunion nonetheless.

The bounty hunter spoke up first. "Quite the coincidence to see you again Link!"

"Likewise, Samus! What brings you over to Hyrule?" Link replied to the now puzzled woman. She looked around at the landscape surrounding her.

"Of all planets to crash land on, it was your home world huh…" She said, still looking around. "Though it wasn't planned, I won't complain. Still, a great coincidence I must say."

"It was rather befitting." Link said with a smile. "It's been too long. I don't even recall the last time we met and really hung out." He averted his eyes in thought, a finger resting upon his chin as he did. Samus took the chance to study his face; it had indeed been so long since they last met, she had nearly forgotten how much of a handsome young man Link was.

"Oh!" Link suddenly said. "Now I remember! It was during the-"

"-last Melee-Tournament a few years back. You and I were teamed up against Marth and Captain Falcon." Samus finished. "It has indeed been too long since last."

The blonde man chuckled as he was smiling bashfully. "I know. Forgive me Samus. But truth to be told, I have been very busy these recent years. I had to take care of a grave threat, to keep it short."

Samus laughed. Not particularly at Link, but rather his quirks. They had become close friends back when they participated in the fighting tournament; a strong bond that made them quite the formidable team. It was during that long period that Samus had begun to see Link in a different light, and it grew the more they got to know about each other.

His persona, his earlier deeds and overwhelming courage were fine traits. He could be fierce, yet calm and soothing. He was one-man army with all his gadgets and weapons, a wind of onslaught but equally gentle. He was so foreign to Samus, and all of this had resulted into a crush that the bounty hunter couldn't shake off. She desired him, wanting nothing more than be on the receiving end of his affections.

_´Is this a sign…?´_ Samus thought to herself. "Link, it's alright. I'm not mad at you. You and I are from different worlds; that alone is as good excuse as any as to why we can't meet regularly." Her voice was firm, but her soft features said otherwise.

"Granted. But I guess I should've have at least kept in touch in one way or another." Link's face was serious – solemn even. "Samus, you are one of my closest friends. I shouldn't have left without a word like that. I'm sorry." His eyes stared apologetically into Samus'. The same kind of stoic firmness, yet caring, gentle.

The bounty hunter felt her face grow warmer despite the cool breeze of the seaside. Hearing Link being so stubborn in his caring and apologetic sent the butterflies in her stomach flying; and what a sensation that was. Her knees felt weak in anticipation. Had she really been mad, she would've forgiven him anyway. Especially when he was so genuine and sincere with his apology.

Samus averted her eyes, trying to cover up her blush that resided on her cheeks. "It's… It's alright Link. I wasn't mad… I'm glad that I get to meet you again, that we are standing here right now."

She didn't have to look at him to know he was smiling. "I think so too, Samus." He replied. Suddenly, his face lit up with a brighter smile across his face, as if he came to a realisation. Samus felt intrigued.

"Here's a thought!" Link exclaimed. "Why don't you stay for a little while? This is perfect for us to catch up on lost time!"

The bounty hunter felt the corners of her mouth pulling upwards; Link her crush and centre of attraction, was asking her to stay for a while? She would be a fool to pass this up. She eagerly nodded, finding it hard to retain the composure at this point. Her heart was skipping with joy.

"I would love too! Besides, my ship is in no condition to take me anywhere," Samus jerked her thumb backwards to her ship. "and if the alternative to fix it is to spend time with you, I rather do the latter. Just let me fetch the helmet and put these tools away."

Before long, Epona whinnied loudly as she dashed across the bridges, with Link steadily on her back and an overjoyed bounty hunter hugging him from behind with her free arm. Neither said a word as they entered the vast field, though Samus let out silent gasps at the scenery – it was foreign to what she usually encountered, but this time there would be no exploring. No dangerous foes lurking about.

It was just her and Link, and all the time they could afford.

**:::::**

"Might I inquire what you think so far?" Zelda said gently. The group of women had moved from the outskirts into the castle itself, just stepping into royal garden. The lush greenery with ample shade was ideal to royalty, with white marble benches and a polished wooden table in a simple gazebo.

Sophitia took a good look around, stunned into silence over the beauty that was not too different from Athens. She felt a familiar atmosphere as they walked up to the gazebo, following the princess with the other women in tow.

"It is... absolutely marvellous." The Greek said. "I am humbled to be allowed to witness such private quarters, princess."

The blonde princess giggled. "Any friends of Link is my friends. No need for formalities Sophitia. Please, take a seat." She motioned for her guests towards the benches.

"My sincere thanks once again for allowing us to reside here." Ivy said as she sat down. "It means a lot to us."

"You are more than welcome. You fought beside Link in your own world, no? It is the least I can do." Zelda smiled. _´She is rather formal and well-mannered, befitting a noble. If only she could do me the favour and change into something less revealing…!´ _She secretly lamented, eyeing Ivy's attire from the corner of her eye.

Shortly after the woman had settled down and begun engaging in conversations, Impa arrived with a simple tray, carrying simple, but finely crafted cups of tea for herself, Sheik, the princess and the guests before taking a seat herself. Under the shade of the gazebo, the sun stood high in the middle of the clear sky as the women talked about anything and everything.

"No way!" Sophitia exclaimed. "Link did all of that as a mere child?! How-"

"He didn't tell you?" Impa asked, genuinely surprised. The blonde Greek simply shook her head lightly before sipping on the tea. The older Sheikah chuckled.

"I guess there is a lot you don't know about him then. A shame, because even as very young lad Link did things most people wouldn't be able to handle. He's brave beyond belief." Impa's crimson eyes darted over to Sheik next to her. "Isn't that right?"

The younger Sheikah blushed underneath her wrappings, timidly caressing her cup. "Y-Yes… It really is a shame he didn't tell you. No matter what dangers ahead, he constantly moved forward."

"Bested monsters and environmental traps alike…" Impa added.

"And never thought of only himself." Zelda lastly added as well.

The two guests stared with open jaws in disbelief. Link had never talked much about himself during their time together, rendering their knowledge about him to very little. All they knew for certain was that he came from another world, where he had defeated a similar evil to that of Soul Edge. But the fact that he had been doing these things from an age as early as 10 was awe inspiring and barely believable.

"Whoa…" Sophitia gasped. "To think he has accomplished such things… He appears more and more like paragon for his people. Athena would be proud!" _´I should ask him to train me sometime… Just him and me, together in our intense training until the sun goes down…´_

Ivy nodded to herself. She scratched her chin in thought, clearly impressed further by Link's legacy in his home world. She took a sip of her tea. "We all could see that he was an experienced warrior. But that he had all of this behind his back… I should be offended, but I am even more impressed. I can see why you would hold him in such a high regard, princess."

The white-haired noble mused. _´Well well… A lot more than meets the eye huh? But it only makes him that more attractive, alluring… He can conquer my temple anytime.´_

Zelda smiled at Ivy. "Hero or not, Link is someone you can rely on no matter what. Hyrule is fortunate to have him…"

Ivy and Sophitia nodded, occasionally drinking some more tea. They all shared a moment of silence in the early afternoon, quietly watching birds that eventually landed on the grass.

"So tell us." Ivy suddenly said with a smile, earning everyone's attention.

"Link… You knew him since you were children right? What was he like?" Zelda and Impa both smiled greatly at the question. They shared a look before returning the attention towards Ivy.

"When I first met him… He had already met with a horrific evil back in his own village. I never got the details, but he had the proof. I had only seen him in dreams until that day, and I knew he was the one."

Sophitia and Ivy winced, if ever so slightly at the princess's words. "_The one_..?"

"Yes." Zelda replied. "The Hero. He who came from the forest and would save this land."

"Oh! You mean like that…" The Greek said, sighing in relief. "S-So please, continue!"

Zelda let out a giggle as she happily continued. Impa would intervene and add things as the princess explained, with Sheik jumping in when it came to Link's older years. The retold story of the Hero of Time was as pleasant to listen to, as it was to relive and talk about it.

**:::::**

As the auburn horse galloped across the green field in her stout grace, Link suddenly sneezed loudly. Samus studied him curiously from behind.

"You didn't appear sick before, Link. Are you feeling well?" Samus asked.

"Yeah… No idea where that came from." Link replied with shrug. Epona trotted carefully up the hillside until she reached the top. All around them was the vast scenery of Hyrule Field, its distinctive landmarks towering in the various distances.

"So what do you think?" Link said with a small grin. "Quite different from the stages we occasionally fought on, no?"

"Very different…" Samus acknowledged. "It's remarkable. You are a lucky man to live here. I think I will enjoy my time here."

_´And not because of the scenery.´ _She glanced back at Link with a sly smile. This would be her chance to confess to Link after so many years. After all; she was a hunter. And Link was her prey. And Samus always got her target.

"I'm sure you will!" The Hylian exclaimed. With a tug on the reins, Epona began to carefully trot down the hill towards the tall, white wall in the distance. Link pointed at it.

"That over there is the entrance to the castle market. Our destination is the castle though."

"The castle? What are we going to-" Samus stopped herself. She knew what it meant. "Zelda! Of course! It's been just as long since I last met her as well!"

Link chuckled. "She will be just as happy to see you again."

The horse began to pick up speed down the hill, galloping into full speed towards the drawbridge. Link was in a good mood, but Samus couldn't quite enjoy it as much as he did. While the bounty hunter was happy to meet her friend Zelda again, it was also making things harder for her.

After all, one of the reasons she hadn't advanced on Link was because of her. Samus dreaded that they shared a bond that was more than friendship – how was she to know what they really had? They had a lot more in common, they shared the same world. While Samus remained the oddity of advanced technology.

She bit her lip underneath her helm. Her feelings towards the Hylian were too strong to ignore, stronger than her friendship with Zelda. She would have to confess to both of them, and stand her ground.

But for now, she felt content with simply having her arm wrapped around his waist, and their bodies being close to each other.

**::::**

"So Link even went as far as saving a distant parallel world when he was but a child?" Ivy inquired, though it was more of a statement than a question. Zelda nodded with a smile.

"From what he told us, yes. But wherever he went, he brought some items back as proof. Like those strange masks." She paused. "So I take his word for it. It's amazing, isn't it? That one young boy has done so much…"

Impa patted the princess of the shoulder, a small smile residing on her lips. "A hero in every sense of the word. He will make a lucky girl very happy one day."

Zelda couldn't help but to giggle as she nodded. It was an interesting thought to visualize Link as a married man, or even in a relationship. It was hard to look at it in a believable way, but regardless of how she thought of it, Zelda didn't appear to be thinking about her and him.

No. Link was her friend, and he always would be. She had no budding feelings towards him; he was like a brother to her. Whoever the lucky woman would be, it wouldn't be her and she was fine with that thought. She would remain by his side as a friend, and support him no matter what.

As the princess was locked in thoughts, she remained oblivious to the various grins, sly smiles or dreamy sighs that surrounded her at Impa's mention. Each with their own visualisation of Link being their man to sweep them off their feet.

Until the loud whinny of a horse was heard in the distance, as if beckoning their attention. The group turned their heads to see the familiar auburn horse slowly making its way towards the gazebo from the entrance, carrying an equally familiar man clad in green.

Their joy was evident on their faces as the man came to a halt in front of the gazebo.

"LINK!" They all exclaimed as they got up from their seats, excluding Zelda who remained sitting for the time being. She stared with wide eyes at the group of women, baffled by their overly exciting behaviour towards the man.

_´He hasn't been gone that long…´ _She mused. She had a gut feeling of what this could be, but her train of thought came to an abrupt halt when Link called out to her.

"Zelda! I hope you like guests because I brought someone with me!" He said, getting off Epona with a familiar woman in tow; the princess felt her face beam with joy, prompting her to get up and running over to her long-time friend.

"Samus!" Zelda cried out. "What a surprise! It's so good to see you!"

"Hey Zelda! It's been a while!" The bounty hunter hugged the princess back, chuckling underneath her helmet before Sheik tackled them both.

"Don't forget about me!" Sheik said loudly, hugging the bounty hunter tightly. "It's so good to see you again Sam!"

"Don't call me Sam, Sheik! Wait… When did you two..?" Samus glanced between Zelda and Sheik. "… Are you separate persons now?"

"Long story." Zelda said with a giggle. "But yes."

"Huh…" Samus took off her helmet, placing it underneath her right arm. "Well, can't complain I suppose. It's good to see you both again. And…" She glanced around at the other girls who eyed her with curiosity.

"And you are?" She stated. Link stepped up to her side at that moment.

"Samus, these are friends I made when I was away. We accompanied each other when we sought the destruction of the evil I mentioned earlier – This is Sophitia Alexandra and Ivy Valentine." He then looked at the two swordswomen. "Ivy, Sophitia, this is Samus Aran. A close friend of mine from the tournaments a few years ago."

"Pleased to meet you!" Sophitia began, bowing politely at Samus. The bounty hunter returned the gesture before doing the same towards Ivy out of courtesy.

"A pleasure to meet you both." Samus replied. Ivy nodded her head, though made no further advances of greeting the blonde foreigner. Samus however took her time studying Ivy from head to toe with a scowl, which morphed into a shocked expression. She eyed Ivy up and down again.

She deadpanned. _´And people made a fit over MY suit…´_ Samus felt a trickle of sweat run down her brow at the sight. _´Wherever she's from, that can't be normal clothing. Right? I mean honestly…´_

"Oh I almost forgot." Link said, earning Samus' attention. He shot an apologetic look in Impa's direction as he began. "This is Impa, Zelda's attendant. She helped a lot when I was a child, and further more when I grew up."

Samus smiled at the tall, slightly muscular woman. "A pleasure to meet you Impa."

The older Sheikah smiled back. "Likewise, Miss Aran. I have heard of you from our princess and Link. A skilled fighter with advanced technology."

"That about sums it up." Samus replied with a grin. "So, what are the plans"?

"It has been delayed now." Zelda began. "But I was supposed to give Link a tour around here; he only just got back home yesterday, and a lot has changed during his absence. You are all welcome to join us, should some sightseeing seem interesting."

"I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to see more of your beautiful land." Sophitia announced. "I'll happily join!"

"As will I." Ivy said calmly.

Zelda looked over at the Sheikah women and Samus, who all nodded at her. The princess nodded in return, satisfied with having the opportunity to show so many guests around. She turned to Link.

"Shall we get going then?" Zelda asked. Link nodded with a smile at first, but quickly averted his eyes in thought.

"Actually…" He began. He seemed to regret what he was about to say, his head hanging low while sheepishly scratching his neck. "Would it be alright if I invited one more? It's a long story, but I know someone who would need to have a look around Hyrule as well." He almost winced at the puzzled stares that were fixated on him at that point.

"Another one? Who would that be, may I inquire?" Zelda asked calmly.

"Neither of you know her, but… As I said, it's a long story. But … trust me; she needs to have a look around just as much. She's not from around here."

The princess glanced up at Impa who shrugged. Zelda didn't want to decline Link's wish, but she had begun to grow ever so slightly annoyed over the fact that he had so many friends over at the same time. And now he wished to bring over another one? Not unreasonable by any standards, but the growing number of women seemed… unnatural in a way.

She dismissed the thought, choosing not to dwell on it any further. Zelda smiled back at Link with a light sigh. "I suppose it's only fair. Alright Link, you go fetch your friend. Shall we say that we meet outside the first archway?"

"That will be perfect!" Link exclaimed. "I'll see you all then!"

**::::**

Link rode on Epona to the market in full speed. When Zelda had mentioned the tour again, he had instantly come to think of Veran. Granted, she had been evil in her own time, but she wasn't a threat now; the evil she served was gone and dealt with.

She had also started to act genuinely nice just before he had to go back then. He felt that he had a chance to help her change ways, and what better way than to make her feel more at home by having her sightseeing? Though, whatever her original home was, it probably was vastly different; but he had to, and would try.

He was sure Veran would come around in the end. While Link was unwavering and remained steadfast in his belief against evil, he wasn't merciless. Veran could be changed.

Just as Epona began to run down the path towards the market, a strange shadowy apparition appeared above him. It took him by surprise, knocking him off Epona onto the ground, straddling him upon impact. He tried to shove the being off him until he heard its voice; its feminine voice which he remembered clearly now.

"I finally found you!" She said. "Just like a thief, you manage to remain hidden even when you're not trying. I knew it was a good choice to make you an honorary member of the Gerudo."

Link scowled. "Aveil… Surely you can think of better ways to greet me than this?"

"But this gives me an element of surprise." Aveil said, getting up on her feet and allowing the Hylian to do the same. He dusted himself off while watching the Gerudo woman smirk at him. "Besides, I heard you finally got back. I had to see you."

"Excitement aside, why knock me off my horse?"

"We would've missed each other otherwise." Aveil said casually. "Can't have you disappear again Link… You rarely visit us as it is."

The Hero felt a slight pang of guilt. Truth was that Link indeed rarely visited the Gerudo. Not because of choice, but rather because of things popping up that he had to deal with. The tournaments had taken up a good amount of time, and with his latest journey consuming even more time it left him with barely any time to visit old friends.

"I… I understand Aveil. And for that, I apologize. But really? Knocking me off Epona?"

The tanned woman didn't reply at first. She averted her gaze. "… Maybe that was a tad bit extreme. But you are well and fine!" She said with a smirk. "Now that we finally meet up though, how about spending some time together, hm?"

"About that…" Link began. "I already have plans with some other friends… But I'm sure you could join us if you wish. It's just a tour around here."

The gerudo arched an eyebrow, her lips smiling. "A tour around with your friends huh? I see… I guess I can't be picky. As long as I get to spend time with you, it's fine. What were you off to anyway?"

Link smiled. "I was on my way to pick up a friend before meeting the others. If you wish, you can wait here near the archway for them. I should be back soon either way."

Aveil appeared to me thinking about it. She tapped her chin, shifting her weight from one leg to another. Before long, she turned back to Link, winking.

"Fair enough. I'll wait here then. Just don't take too long!"

"Deal." Link said with a chuckle before climbing back up on Epona. As he rode off, Aveil watched his back with longing eyes. Broad shoulders and a fitting physique to match, Link was the embodiment of what Gerudo's strived for. He had bested her most skilled guards while sneaking around their own fortress, rescuing their prisoners; singlehandedly!

She walked towards the marble archway, leaning towards the wall as she began to wait for the Hero's return. From the corner of her eye, she could just about make out that there was a small group of women heading her way.

* * *

Ohoho! What will happen now when nearly everyone is assembled? ;)

Find out in the next chapter!

- GG


	5. Clash of the Women! Part 2

**Disclaimer**: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters or their respective franchise; Legend of Zelda and Metroid belongs to Nintendo, while Soul Calibur belongs to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing fiction.

_Also, a quick note; I have an announcement at the end of the chapter, so if you would be so kind and give it a quick look, that would be most appreciated! Thank you!_

_A/N: I noticed how I accidentally wrote "Cassandra" instead of "Sophitia" at some places. I think it should be correct now, but if you spot one, please tell me. Thanks!_

**A Hylian's Harem**

**Chapter 5**

_Clash of the Women! Part 2_

"Oh! Young man!" The doctor exclaimed happily as Link stepped through the doors. "Back already I see!"

Link chuckled. "Yes, I came to check on the patient. Also, I need to ask you; is she patched up enough to be able to leave?"

The old doctor scratched his bearded chin. "Hmm... Yes, I think she should be able to leave, provided that someone is able to care for her in our stead." He eyed Link with his small, elderly eyes. "And since you seem to be the only one she remotely knows around here…"

"I already thought of that." Link replied. "Good news then. I was thinking of cheering her up a bit, and I kind of need her away from the infirmary for that."

"Well she's all yours lad. She is as healthy as she can get with our help. Just be gentle."

The blonde hylian nodded, marching towards the room. He opened up the door and went inside to see Veran still in bed, albeit she was sitting up seemingly in thought. Her eyes snapped open widely as Link continued to walk into the room, a small smirk adorning her lips.

"Back so soon huh? Did you miss me that much?" She said with teasing tone, smiling slyly. Link laughed softly at the remark as he walked up to Veran, next to the bed.

"I would be lying if I said no, Miss Veran." Link replied with a smile. "I came to pick you up."

The sorceress quirked an eyebrow. "Pick me up?"

"You don't need to stay in hospital bed anymore. So I'm here to pick you up; there's something I want you to see." He smiled down at Veran, who averted her eyes instantly. That smile of his was almost infectious to the point that she wanted to smile herself, if only because he acted like such a gentleman towards her. Not the mention that he had the physical appearance that suited Veran's tastes just perfectly.

"I guess it will be good to get out of here." Veran then said, slowly climbing out of bed. As she did, Link notices the still torn robe she was wearing.

"Miss Veran, perhaps you should change clothes…?"

"Hmm?" Veran glanced down at her robe. "Oh, that? Not a problem." She snapped her fingers loudly; within seconds, the robe magically patched itself up, much to Link's bafflement.

"Huh… Uh… Nifty magic."

Veran grinned at Link. _´So… He's easy to impress huh? I'll keep that in mind…´_ she mused. "If you are going to study magic, you might as well learn a few handy spells like that."

"That's awesome." Link said with a mild laughter. He took Veran by the hand and began to lead them out of the room when he suddenly stopped. "That reminds me, what about your headgear?"

"My... headgear?" Veran asked. "Oh, that one. I don't need it. I kind of like it like this anyway."

Link smiled. "Alright." He continued to walk with Veran right behind him. He briefly stopped and thanked the doctor and his assistant, but the sorceress was oblivious to what was going on around her, with the exception of Link.

She stared down at his hand holding hers. The touch, so warm and gentle, yet firm, was so deviant to what she used to with her life in her own time. Once, she was the sorceress of shadows who served a greater evil. She nearly had a whole land beneath her feet, and now she was being led by the same embodiment of the Hero, a being that carried the same blood in his veins. And she wanted him to be hers.

_´How strange it is…´ _She thought to herself. _´That one's life can suddenly change, isn't it?´_

Once outside from the infirmary, Link led the sorceress to Epona. "I hope you don't mind some horseback riding." Link said casually. "We are in a mild hurry to meet the others."

"Shouldn't be a problem…" Veran replied at first, but just as quickly did the puzzled look cross her features. "Wait… What others?"

"My friends." Link said. "It will be you, me and some of my friends for a tour around here. I figured you could use the tour to get… somewhat accustomed to where you will be living now."

_´Where I will be living now huh…´ _She thought dryly. "Very well. It's a start I suppose."

Link nodded with a smile, climbing on top of Epona. Offering his hand, he assisted Veran up on the auburn horse as well so she sat right behind him, her slender legs hanging off the same side like a princess. With a light signal to the strong body, Epona slowly began to trot away from the infirmary towards the castle.

Veran disliked the idea of sharing this with Link's friends. She didn't know them. She hardly knew Link for that matter, but that was another story. But as long as her arms were wrapped around his midriff, she couldn't stay in a sour mood; not when she felt the toned back towards her and his warmth spreading over to her.

As much as she used to detest things activities like this, it was a pleasant first time for her. And she wouldn't have minded a repeat of it.

**:::::**

"And why is a _Gerudo_ all the way over to the castle grounds might I ask?!" Impa said with a loud, stern voice filled with command. She crossed her arms as the pair of crimson eyes settled on the tanned warrior woman before her, with the rest of the group standing behind and watched it unfold. Sheik of course stood right behind Impa, effectively being right in front of the princess, should anything happen.

Sophitia watched the two women argue, though she didn't understand the point of it. Was the tanned woman not welcomed here? Or had she personally done something wrong? The Greek warrior lightly nudged Ivy with her elbow, earning the white-haired woman's attention.

"What do you think is going on?" She asked. Ivy simply shrugged at first, before watching the two women, studying them.

"Foreign politics I assume." Ivy then said. "We should remain quiet and let them sort it out."

Sophitia nodded and remained in silence as she, Ivy and Samus kept themselves in the background, until Zelda turned to them.

"That woman is of the Gerudo tribe." Zelda said quietly. "A tribe in the western desert that consists entirely of warrior women. Our relationship has always been friendly until a few years ago where… suspicions began to arise."

Samus, Ivy and Sophitia nodded at Zelda for the short backstory. While they didn't understand that much better, they could at least understand that it was indeed regarding politics of sorts.

Aveil paced back and forth in front of Impa, a small but sly grin on her lips. "I happen to be waiting for Link. I wished to see him, no harm there right?"

Impa's eyes narrowed. Her voice was now calm, but still commanding. "Granted, there is no harm in such an action. However, Gerudo members are not allowed to venture this close to the castle grounds unless they bring important messages."

"What's this? Don't you trust us? Surely, Ganondorf's actions are not an easy thing to forget, but we had no direct involvement. I thought we were on better terms." Aveil said with a slight smirk. "After all, Nabooru is-"

"Nabooru may be a Sage, but she does not command over the rules of Hyrule." Sheik added in her interruption. "We may be on better terms now, but we can't risk any Ganon-Sympathizers to get too close to the castle, or Her Grace." Sheik glanced back at Zelda briefly before looking back at Aveil. The Gerudo woman looked offended, but remained cool.

"Oh, I perfectly understand your reasons for that." Aveil replied calmly. "But I assure you that no Gerudo member is supporting Ganondorf. If you recall, we joined you in the big celebration of his demise. Good riddance I say."

"I am aware of that, but your tribe tends to give the people bad vibes since that incident." Impa replied. "I advise you to not pull this stunt again anytime soon. Preferably never."

"Whatever you say, guard-dog." The redhead said with a small but cocky smirk was she watched the Sheikah woman's scowl darken. While it was true that the Gerudo tribe and the Hylians had maintained a good relationship over the many years, there was still some seeds of hostility that remained scattered across the two nations. The Sheikah, having served the Hylians through a countless number of years, remained closer to them than to the Gerudo. Nabooru the Exalted was a welcome guest and a good friend to Zelda and Impa and also Link, but since Ganondorf's rise to power, many more had begun to grow wary of the Gerudo tribe. After all, everyone knew from before that Ganondorf was from that tribe, and was its supposed leader.

And then there were more personal standoffs such as Impa and Aveil at the moment. Despite her mature exterior, Impa was jealous; and knowing that Aveil had no documents to the Royal Family, and instead was here because she wanted to see Link, she understood clearly what was going on. Not that she could do anything about outright. But it was vexing nonetheless.

As Impa was just about to raise her voice in sheer annoyance at the tanned girl, a faint whinny was heard from down the path. She, along with all the other women turned their heads towards the trotting horse, with Link waving from his seat.

"Good to see that you didn't take too long." Zelda said once Link was close enough. Her eyes wandered over to the woman sitting behind him, with autumn-orange hair and a purple dress. Her smile disappeared, morphing into a genuine neutral expression of curiosity.

"Who's your friend?" She then asked. Link smiled and hopped off Epona before helping Veran off as well. He stood in front of the group, Veran at his side.

"This is the one I mentioned earlier, about needing the tour." Link smiled at the group. "This is Veran, from, uh… Labrynna!"

The sorceress next to him shot gave off a confused look, but said nothing about it. She wasn't from Labrynna in that way, but she guessed he had to make something up. When she noticed that all eyes were fixated on her, she stepped forward and bowed lightly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all." Veran then said, calmly and flawlessly. Though her sincerity was limited; it was hardly a pleasure to meet them, but she had to play along for the moment. She noticed with mild disdain that the only one of them that was dressed mostly similar to her with a long dress stepped forward with a smile, bowing her head towards the sorceress.

"And a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Veran. I am Princess Zelda." Zelda said with a smile. "I've been told you needed a tour around here as well, and only now do I fully understand. This land of Labrynna must be very far away."

_´Zelda? The princess? I've heard the Twinrova sisters mentioning that name, but…´ _Veran thought briefly before offering the princess a small, fake smile. "Yes, you could say that."

"Hold it!" The group quickly looked over at the narrow-eyed Gerudo woman who warily walked over to the sorceress.

"What is the meaning of this crude joke?" Her long, fiery-red ponytail swayed with every motion as she walked in a circle around Veran, only to suddenly stop; she pointed at the shoulder-pads.

"Whatever do you mean, girl?" Veran asked casually.

"You are wearing the symbol of the Gerudo!" Aveil replied in a raised voice. "Explain yourself!"

Link, who had noticed it before, remained silent, wanting an explanation as well. Impa and Sheik particularly grew wary of the new guest while Zelda remained curious. She never doubted Link's judgement, and certainly wouldn't start now, though she would be lying to herself if she said anything different from wanting to hear what this Veran-lady would say in her explanation.

Veran took a quick glance around her before looking back at the golden eyes of the tanned girl.

_´Oh, that's right…´ _she mused. _´I remember the Twinrova sisters mentioning that as well. Ganon was… is..? Supposed to be the King of the Gerudo. A tribe name? Those old crones apparently belonged to it as well…´_

Veran was far from stupid; in fact, she was the brain of the duo of her and a certain general. She calmly took a deep breath before replying with a small smirk on her lips.

"Certainly, I do not belong to the Gerudo tribe, girl. Rather, these marks represent my affiliation. You will be glad to hear that the Gerudo exist way back in Labrynna, where I come from. A small community, but they've made their presence known nonetheless."

And it was necessarily not a lie; the Gerudo had existed, or would exist, depending on where her own time was, in Labrynna. It was only limited by the old witches and of course Ganon, but she skipped that detail.

"And I only happen to be working with them. So simple, no mystery." She finished, smiling slyly at the tanned girl. "Good enough?"

Aveil simply grinned cockily and nodded before she spoke up. "I'm Aveil by the way. Current co-leader of the Gerudo tribe here in Hyrule."

Link stepped up to the two. He pointed towards the others in the group, one at a time. "Veran, you've already met Zelda. This is Impa and Sheik, her attendants." The two Sheikah women bowed respectfully until Veran let out a small but noticeable gasp.

Her flame-coloured eyes stared in puzzled astonishment at Impa, whom she narrowed her eyes at curiously. "Impa?! But… You're not fat anymore!"

The older Sheikah woman involuntarily twitched her eyebrow in a slowly boiling anger. "Excuse me?"

"Oh… My apologies, but you reminded me of a certain… acquaintance, back in Labrynna…" Veran quickly added, remaining calm. _´How silly of me. Of course it's not the same person… Still, had me going there for a second.´_

Impa remained silent, seemingly accepting the apology though her scowl remained on her face. Link chuckled nervously, trying to change the subject by motioning towards the other women.

"And this is Samus Aran, a close friend of mine, and next to her are Ivy Valentine and Sophitia Alexandra, also close friends."

Each had their own greeting in store for Veran, who returned them in feign gratitude. She didn't necessarily hate them, but she wanted to spend time with Link and Link alone. It wasn't easy to just switch from one lifestyle to another, but if she was to do so, she would've wanted to do it with the one man whom she didn't outright despise.

Still, despite all this going on, she was humorously distracted by the revealing clothing that Ivy wore. There was so much flesh and skin exposed that it didn't even look like it should be considered clothing. The only thing that was armoured was Ivy's left arm and hand.

The sorceress quirked an eyebrow. _´… Interesting choice of clothing I suppose. Quaint, but still. Now that I look closely, those three lack pointy ears… I thought pointy ears were common for humans… The others seem to have it…´_

She snapped her fingers. _´Of course, it must be a foreign thing… Not to mention that odd armour that Samus-girl is wearing. Quaint… Simply quaint…´_

"Now then!" Everyone turned to look at Zelda. "Everyone is assembled, so how about we finally get started? First, a trip to the market town!" She exclaimed happily. As she started to walk down the road, followed by the others one by one, Link gently patted Epona on the backside and watched her trot away towards the castle.

He jogged up to Zelda quickly as they continued towards the market.

**:::::::**

"Oh wow…" Link gasped out breathlessly. He walked in front of the group by a few steps, gazing upon a tall monument, almost as tall as a small house, depicting his Hylian shield atop a pedestal.

Judging by his smile, the Hero was overjoyed. Zelda giggled as he continued to gaze in joyous astonishment at the monument, located in the small courtyard in front of the Temple of Time. It was certainly breath-taking, considering the amount of accuracy and details spent on its making. Zelda, Impa and Sheik all smiled at the young man.

"When did you… How did… Zelda, this is… I don't even know what to say! I'm honoured!"

"It was my pleasure, Link." Zelda smiled. "But the idea was not mine. I merely helped as I was supporting it. Your thanks should go to Impa." The princess tilted her head towards the tall woman, who chuckled with a small, sheepish smile.

Link's smile grew wider. "R-Really? You had this done for me?"

"I thought it only to be fitting lad." Impa replied with calmly, but her expression was easily identified as sheer joy. "A Hero is a Hero. If anything, a monument should be erected in your honour."

The young Hylian didn't say anything. After a few seconds of silence, he eventually almost leaped over towards Impa, pulling her into his arms for a hug. He nuzzled the area around her collarbone despite her clothing, still smiling as widely as possible.

"Thank you Impa! Really, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!" He exclaimed, hugging the older Sheikah some more.

Impa, albeit hesitatingly, returned the hug. Normally, she would've welcomed the embrace without as much as batting an eye, but Impa was always formal and professional in the open. She could display and tolerate simple actions of affection and friendliness but Link was hugging her tightly. If he lowered his head just a few inches, he would have it stuck right between her breasts, and Impa knew that.

"It was nothing, Link…" She said. "I only thought it was fitting for what you have done…" Her hug was not as tight as Link's but it was there. She did enjoy the shared warmth.

The blonde man opened his mouth to speak, but Sheik nudged him before he could let out a single syllable. He turned to look at her, seeing her averting her eyes.

"I…" Sheik began. "I helped too. With the monument that is." Her arms stretched out as in a hug, leaving Link laughing heartily as he hugged Sheik as well.

"Then thank you as well! I really appreciate it you two." Sheik didn't reply to that, but instead winked her crimson eye at Impa who crossed her arms with a mild scowl.

_´Honestly Sheik…´ _Impa thought. _´I thought you to be more mature than that.´_

Sophitia, Ivy and Aveil studied the shield i.e. the monument. Despite being of rock, the amount of details had made it an exact replica of Link's shield, with the exception of the size. It remained impressive nonetheless as they observed it, occasionally glancing over to the shield on Link's back.

Even Veran took her time to eye the monument up and down, though her eyes were more tempted at studying Link's great backside physique.

The only one who didn't eye the monument too long was Samus. The blonde bounty hunter had her eyes locked on Link, studying his features as he smiled, laughed and talked to the others. And it was vexing her. Especially when she saw Sheik trying to get Link to hug her again or Impa gaining his attention one way or another. If Samus was completely honest with herself, she didn't even enjoy seeing Link giving Zelda attention.

Not that she could be honest about that though. She was known to be cool, calculating and observant. She couldn't, and wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her like a schoolgirl. Not that she knew how a schoolgirl's mind-set was working, but she could imagine.

Then she had it. A simple, but brilliant idea that would tip the scales to her favour. She let out a hacking cough, to which Link turned around to face her.

"That reminds me." Samus said calmly. "I remember that one match you and I had against Marth and Captain Falcon. The one when we managed the beat them without losing a single stock."

Link's ears perked up a little. "Oh yes! I remember that!" He chuckled genuinely at the memory, smiling. "That was an awful lot of fun. I hate to brag, but we were unstoppable at that match."

"We sure were, weren't we?" Samus replied. Absentmindedly, she tucked away a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Couldn't have won that one without you though. We work well together."

"Indeed. Agility and strength combined, if I dare say so myself." Link added, to which the bounty hunter nodded with a smile. She noticed Sheik and Zelda watching them with interest, seeing how they used to be paired up with either Link or Samus as well.

"What is this I hear about fighting?" Ivy suddenly asked, stepping into the small ring of conversation. Sophitia stepped up as well, but remained quiet in her genuine curiosity. Ivy's eyes darted from Samus, all the way over to Link with a confused look. The Hero smiled back.

"We were talking about the tournament we used to be active in." Link said. "Usually, Samus and I were paired up in the same team in team-based matches."

"Is that right…" Ivy glanced over at Samus, who was next to her, with mild interest. "Pardon me asking, but just how are you able to fight in… that." She gestured at the power-suit with her hand. "It doesn't look too nimble, and I see the lack of a weapon in your hand."

By no means was Ivy lacking in the brain-department. Zelda had witness during their interaction that despite the choice of clothing, she was a noble with a keen intellect. Yet she, Sheik and even Link felt that her remark couldn't have been more off-putting.

Zelda simply sighed while Sheik pinched the bridge of her nose, while ultimately Link nervously and sheepishly scratched his neck, trying to come up with a good explanation on Samus' behalf's.

The bounty hunter however, grinned. Truthfully, she was pissed, but she could see why there was such a question.

_´That's right. I don't have a sword, or an axe or a dagger.´ _Samus thought behind her grin. _´I have something even better than that blade of yours. Not that I will show it to you just yet… Though, I shouldn't let irritation get to me. I am the most foreign of the group after all. Everyone seems to be of the same type; blade and… what's the word… "Magic". Still, I should remain calm… It is only natural that they wonder…´_

"Truth to be told Miss Aran, I too have wondered about that." Sophitia said sincerely. "May I inquire, what is your fighting style?"

"I too would like to see that." Aveil added as she intervened. "Surely that chunk of stylized armour looks good, but I don't see how well you can fight with it on."

"Uhm, people…" Link began. "Samus here isn't a fighter like you are used to. She's rather… advanced in that regard-"

"I doubt it's magical." Veran ultimately intervened. "A colourful armour-suit, nothing more than meets the eye."

Samus threw a neutral gaze towards the other women, raising her eyebrow questionably. She looked calm on the outside, as if the questions and comments didn't bother her. Out of all of them, not including Link, Zelda and Sheik, Impa was the only one who had not questioned her and it didn't look like she would do it either.

Her eyes looked back at the other women. _´I might just show you later, in private, just what kind of style I'm fighting. By blowing you all away to Mother-Brain!´_

The bounty hunter sighed, still not appearing as offended. "My fighting style is different from yours, but it is still a fighting style. I wouldn't recommend questioning it."

The white-haired noblewoman quirked an eyebrow, befitting her small smirk. "Is that a threat? Or a challenge?"

"It is neither." Samus replied calmly. "It is an advice. A fighter shouldn't think too lightly of or underestimate their opponent. That is all."

"Interesting advice and a true one at that." Ivy eyed the blonde woman up and down. "But my blade had cut through heftier armour than yours. It won't be of much help."

"A blade needs to get close enough to slice. I excel in killing at long range." Their eyes, sharp and narrow, glared at each other. There was a silent hostility brewing between them, but it appeared to be spreading in all directions as Aveil walked up to the white-haired woman.

"Excuse me… Ivy, was it?" She asked. "That's a mighty claim, to be able to cut through thick armour. Surely you know that it's only the weakest pups that bark the most?"

Ivy snorted. "I advise you to not poke your pointy nose in other people's conversations, girl."

"Pointy nose..?!" Aveil said through gritted teeth. She eyed the woman with discontent, her golden eyes almost flaring with anger.

"Alright that's enough!" Impa, who had remained quiet for most of the time, stepped up to the centre of the group. "We don't want a fight to start just because you either have different opinions or decide to give off snide remarks. I won't permit it"

"I'm with Impa." Link added. "So calm down. I know you are all foreign to each other, but certainly being civil is not outlandish. Let's just relax and have a good time as we continue the tour, alright?"

The women agreed in unison, but the occasional mutterings and/or hostile glances were notably there. Zelda had always been as observant as she was wise, and seeing the brewing hostility in front of her made her heart fill itself with distress.

Zelda knew that having so many guests over at the same time would be disastrous. Especially when some of them was foreign to Hyrule and didn't know about the land's _do's_ and _don'ts_. But it wasn't just their hostility that worried her, now that she had observed each of them in silence.

She noticed how there was an unspoken pattern in their behaviour. They appeared to grow easily annoyed and even angered over the smallest of things. They also were _Link's_ guests. Not necessarily hers, even if she provided shelter for them. No, they were all here because of Link.

Zelda had always suspected Impa to care for Link beyond friendship. Sheik, who was once part of Zelda, was as readable as a book when it came to thoughts and feelings. The princess understood clearly why her "other half" had fallen for the young Hero.

And then there was the others; Samus was certainly a friend of Zelda and Sheik, but she hadn't even talked to them as much as she would've have done under normal circumstances. The bounty hunter had only been trying to get Link's attention. Aveil seemed keen about him as well, seeing how she had waited for him.

And lastly, Ivy and Sophitia had followed Link all the way from their world to here. Veran was still a mystery, but the land of Labrynna wasn't a name Zelda remembered from any maps. It had to be really far away, and yet she was here and had a connection to Link.

It just couldn't be a coincidence.

The princess watched in mild, horrific realisation as she saw the group of women gather around Link, each with the intention of gaining his attention one way or another. Even Impa tried her best to get a hold of him.

Zelda, who had not showed an expression of dread since her capture at Ganon's hands, felt the fear and realisation crawl down her spine. These weren't just friends. These were Link's one-sided suitors.

* * *

_NOTE! Scroll down!_

_Oh my! Looks like things are now really starting to heat up!_

_Anyway, on to my important message. It has come to my attention that some of you either wanted more girls to be part of the harem, or wanted me to write another harem story featuring Link._

_And Im with you, it would be interesting to write another one once A Hylian's Harem is finished. That being said, I was also given the suggestion that I could collect votes starting now on who you would like to see involved in said harem._

_So here is the message: I will not be working on another harem story anytime soon. HOWEVER, it wont hurt to start working on ideas for it._

_So therefore, I want you people to start casting your votes; which girls do you wish to see Link paired up with in the next harem story?_

_Keep in mind that it should be game-based girls preferably, and the harem shouldnt be too big. Roughly 5-6 girls. Maybe 7._

_Be reasonable when voting on the girls. Also, I dont mind if its crossovers just to be clear._

_That would be it. You can either write your votes down on the review, or send me a PM. Either way, Im looking forward to see what you come up with!_

_Until next chapter, take care!_


	6. Final Clash

**Disclaimer:** GrimGrave does not own any of the characters or their respective franchise; Legend of Zelda and Metroid belongs to Nintendo, while Soul Calibur belongs to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing fiction.

_Also, a big thanks to all of you who submitted your ideas for another harem in the previous chapter! Nearly all girls have been accounted for, allowing me to start contemplating about which ones to pick! Just remember that I won't be working on the actual story anytime soon, unless something happens._

_But enough small-talk, on with the story!_

**A Hylian's Harem**

**Chapter 6**

_Final Clash_

_´It just… can't be…´ _Zelda ceased her pinching of the bridge of her nose in order to throw another glance back at the group behind her.

She saw Link with a sheepish smile on his stoic face, his arms waving in order to ward of his friends from stepping into his personal space. Impa and Sheik were by his sides, subtly trying to ward off the others as well – a pity that it didn't go unnoticed by Zelda. In all her wisdom, she could easily see it now that she had pieced it together. They remained close to Link while supposedly helping him fend off the other women. Well played on their part.

But now that she had realised just what kind of guests she now had promised to shelter, Zelda had grown even more distressed. She couldn't flat out go back on her word, nor could she throw them out again. She owed Link an awful lot, and she wouldn't let his heroic deeds go fruitless, but judging by the women's earlier remarks and reactions it wouldn't be too long before they took their catfights to another level.

Worst case scenario, things got out of hand and there would be spilt blood.

The princess tapped her chin in thought. There had to be a way to keep it peaceful between them in a way that wasn't temporary. As the group of women kept talking over one another towards Link, Zelda took the moment to contemplate.

_´What should I do?! Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom… Help me. I am at a loss, for the first time in a long time, and I am in desperate need of an answer… Just what should I do about this situation?´_ She glance back at Link and the others.

_´Should I confront Impa and Sheik about it? If they know that I know, maybe they can in turn help me… At least they don't let their feelings get the best of them. What if I told Link-´_

Zelda stopped herself mentally. _´No. If I told Link that everyone here wants to… Want him to __court__ them, I'm not certain of how he would react… But it should be a gradual thing for him to realize…´_

"Your Highness." Impa's voice suddenly caught the blonde's attention, prompting her to look up at her attendant. The Sheikah woman smiled gently, a soft gaze lingering in her crimson eyes. "Should we head over _there_ now?"

Zelda understood completely and nodded with a small smile of her own. "Yes, we should."

"We should go where?" Link asked out of nowhere, winking playfully at his two friends. "What are you two talking about?"

The princess giggled lightly. "You understand once we get there. Sheik, could you be a sweetheart and go buy some flowers from the nearby flower-shop?"

"Naturally, your Highness." Sheik replied. As the younger Sheikah woman walked away, Link sent a puzzled look in Zelda's direction in hope for a proper answer. Zelda simply giggled at first, joined in by Impa's chuckle before she answered.

"It's in the Back Alley." She eventually said, to which Link's cerulean eyes widened in understanding. Zelda nodded at the young man again. "We're just waiting for Sheik to come back with the flowers…"

**:::::::**

"I'm ashamed to say that I had completely forgotten…" Link said lowly as he placed his fair share of the flowers on the cobblestone ground. A small bouquet of roses and tulips, surrounded by a few, small lit candles that Impa had brought with her. Zelda, Link, Impa and Sheik were all gathered at the wall of a back alley building, looking solemnly at the spot of area that was surrounded by candles and decorated by flowers in silence.

"You've been traveling a lot, and your mind has been preoccupied." Impa replied. "It's understandable that you forgot. You are here now, at least."

Link smiled with a nod. Impa always seemed to know what was best to say in different situations, and now was no different. He lowered his head and closed his eyes in silence as did Zelda, Sheik and Impa. The only noise that went by was the people talking and rummaging through the market, and the whispers between the left out group of women who all eyed the Hylians with curiosity.

"What is this about you reckon?" Aveil whispered. The women either shrugged or muttered something incoherent until Veran decided to give the seemingly younger woman a nudge.

"Probably something personal, or they would have said something before they began… Mourning, I take it."

Aveil glanced back at Veran, golden eyes narrowed. "Mourning?" Veran nodded at the question.

"By the looks of the candle and flowers, and their little moment of silence, there is no indication of this being anything else. Someone died there, plain and simple."

"Would you two please be quiet?" Veran and Aveil both turned to Ivy who stood just a few inches ahead of them. Her sharp brow was raised high with her cold glance as she stared at them. "Don't talk so nonchalantly about the dead, whoever they are. The person in question was obviously someone of importance to Link and the Princess, so don't talk so recklessly!" Her voice was raised, as if to emphasize, but remained hushed and quiet. Ivy's glare was still mild in nature, but the spiteful intent was still lingering.

Veran caught the look with a slowly growing animosity; how dared anyone below her status to tell her off, it was absurd! But since she had grown fond of Link, she dared not to instantly lash out at the woman. It was time to fight fire with fire, and the idea made her full lips curl into a smirk.

"Noble words…" She whispered to Ivy. "For a woman dressed as a streetwalker…" Her smirk grew wider to the point that she flashed her teeth as Ivy's glare intensified – a glare as cold as the north itself.

_´Looks like I hit a nerve there.´_ Veran mused. "Oh don't act so shocked. You couldn't possibly believe that your clothing would inspire anything but perversions amidst the ranks of friend and foes alike."

"Watch it…" Ivy's whisper was almost seething as the words left her mouth, sharp as her sword and spiteful. "Or else."

The sorceress quirked an eyebrow with an amused smile. She liked where this was going. "Or else, what? Going to throw a tantrum with that distinct accent of yours? I can't say that you're inflicting fear on me…"

The ice-blue eyes glared daggers at the sorceress, and Veran knew it. She could see that Ivy was just a few words away from drawing her sword, and the thought enticed her greatly; due to her great mishap with her spell she yearned for a battle, and what better opponent to "accidentally" kill off than a rival? Just as they both were about to speak up, to end their silence with the announcement of their inevitable battle, Link walked up to them with his usual smile.

"What are you all whispering about?" He asked, scratching his neck. "Sorry about that… It's kind of a long story, but… To put it simply, a brave soldier of Hyrule died in that alley when Zelda and I were little when an evil king betrayed Hyrule…"

"And so you honour him by paying a visit to his place of death." Sophitia added with a warm smile. "That's very noble of you four. I'm sure the solider is at peace."

"That is what we are hoping for." Zelda replied. The Sheikah attendants both nodded in agreement. "My added apologies for keeping you all in the dark, briefly as it were."

Ivy, Aveil, Sophitia and Samus all laughed mildly at the apology, though the bounty hunter stepped up to friend immediately. "It was a personal business that you wished to honour as soon as possible. And since you didn't seem to expect company, I suspect that this was originally intended to be for you and Link. You don't need to apologise Zelda." The blonde hunter offered her friend a small grin. "So, shall we get going?"

The blonde princess giggled. "You're right. There is still much left for you to see before the sun downs on the horizon."

Lead by the princess and Link, the group continued their tour through the market, where the hordes of people ceased their activities to bow before the princess and their Hero, while throwing some puzzled or shocked stares at the visitors that seemed to be with their princess. They were all so foreign, though the Gerudo woman was spared from the curious eyes. But as they all ventured to and from the various shops and attractions, the guests themselves found that they had been stared at, if none other than themselves. A growing tension loomed above them, and they could all feel it.

They had all bared their fangs. Now they waited for the first one to strike.

**::::::::**

The guests all gasped in awe at the small, but majestic valley they had travelled to. Thanks to small network of newly constructed bridges, the valley was now a lot easier to get across due to the various heights and shapes of the natural platforms that rose up around the shimmering river. Decorated by nature's wonders, the valley was a sight to behold with its soothing sound of the water-current, the teeming trees that provided ample shades and the tranquillity of birds chirping above. Soft grass protruded underneath their feet and the sun basked them in its glow from the sky.

"This is truly beautiful…" Sophitia was first to say. The blonde Greek slowly spun around in order to see as much as possible; the untouched wonder of nature, made and designed by its own accord was truly remarkable.

"I have to agree with you." Samus added. "This valley is remarkable Zelda. Tell me, where exactly are we anyway?"

The princess giggled. "We're at Zora's River, Samus. It's part of the domain that belongs to the Zora's, an aquatic race that takes care of Hyrule's water supply. But this valley alone is open for us hylians to visit as we please."

"Quite different from St. James' Park," Ivy said. "but nevertheless beautiful. Your kingdom doesn't cease to amaze me your Highness."

"No need for formalities Lady Valentine." Zelda replied with a warm smile. "But thank you. I would very much like to see this park you mentioned someday."

With some of the guests preoccupied in a merry conversation, Veran had taken the liberty to distance herself from the group, standing by the edge of the flowing river. Aveil had performed a similar action by resting her back against a nearby tree, rendering the two of them the only ones not engaged in the overall conversation.

The sorceress sighed, her eyebrows knitted together. She disliked it all. The untouched nature, the pure water, the birds that kept chirping in the sky. It was all amongst many things she had intended to get rid of in Labrynna, and here she was surrounded by it. She only put up with it because of Link – the Hero that she would normally hate, had it not been because A; it wasn't the same hero, and B; because he was drop dead gorgeous.

And to make matters worse, Link was surrounded by other women that wanted to bed him. The thought irked her terribly, even more so when she spotted from the corner of her eye that said Hero was walking over to the Gerudo woman.

"Not in the mood for being social, Aveil?" Link joked as he walked up to the Gerudo. The redhead grinned back at him, a sly mirth lingering in her golden eyes.

"On the contrary, I just don't feel like being social with them. A hylian princess that could easily have me thrown in jail, two mysterious Sheikah warriors and foreigners that easily gets on my nerves. To be honest Link, I would have preferred to just be with you." She paused herself.

"After all, we Gerudo have always been wary of you hylians. It's only you that we trust, and that's no small thing." Link looked back at the redhead. The small speech had him slightly baffled, but he did understand – the Gerudo tribe had indeed always been unkind to outsiders, and Link had been through some ordeal in order to gain their trust.

He eventually chuckled. "I understand that Aveil, but you don't have to worry. Zelda would never throw you in prison. As for the others…" He glanced back at the group. "They may be foreigners to you, but they are women, no? Surely your tribe have been more open to women than men in the past."

It was the Gerudo's turn to laugh. It was a loud laughter, with no womanly trace in it. "You sure hit the head of the nail sometimes Link. But there is a lot more to it than them simply being foreigners."

Link stared at Aveil puzzlingly. "What do you mean?"

She simply snickered. "By the time you'll find out, it won't matter, my little thief." Her golden eye winked at the young hylian who blushed, but sheepishly smiled. Thief. While Link definitely wasn't one, he had showed great capabilities to be one when he had infiltrated the Gerudo Fortress a few years prior. He clearly didn't understand what Aveil was on about though, but quickly decided to shrug it off for now.

Meanwhile, Veran still watched the two with a look of disgust and spite. Link wasn't supposed to be talking to the others like that! He was supposed to be gaining _her_ attention, to talk to her and her alone. She was the Sorceress of Shadows, and what was that slip of a girl? A simple "co-leader" of an isolated clan, nothing more. Veran's animosity was growing with each second that passed as she kept glaring daggers at the redhead; while she didn't like the other women that much either, it was Aveil that held her attention for the moment, seeing how she was alone with Link.

_´What's so special about that girl anyway?´_

"A pleasure to see anything but that smug expression on your face." A voice suddenly remarked, snapping Veran out of her dreaded fixation. When the fire-coloured eyes settled, it was Ivy who stood just a few feet away from her with a sly grin.

The sorceress shot the British noblewoman a glare. "It may be a grim visage, but at least it wasn't brought by yours truly." Veran nudged her head in Aveil's direction, prompting Ivy to look over in said direction – sporting a frown on her otherwise beautiful features.

"I see." She replied, looking back at the lone sorceress. "That is unfortunate, but I'm not worried."

Veran arched an eyebrow as if to question Ivy's remark. The noblewoman chuckled. "Link is a young man after all, but a gentleman at that. It is only natural that he spends some alone time with women that catches his fancy, if even just the slightest. But in the end, he will come back for more when he finds the right one."

The sorceress' brows lowered till her face was completely deadpanned. "And who, pray tell, would that be?" The white-haired woman chuckled once again.

"Is it not obvious?"

Veran eyed Ivy up and down, still deadpanned. The ridiculously large breasts provided enough cleavage that would surely keep men running back to her, a note that Veran was tempted to remark on. Though granted, she wasn't that much far off – Veran's dress consisted mostly as a two-part clothing with her top revealing her ample cleavage as well, and her somewhat toned waist and stomach. But at least her bottom half was more of a proper dress than Ivy's entire attire.

The sorceress rolled her eyes. "I'm sure many men would like to give you a second glance, perhaps even come running back." Veran said calmly. "But if Link is such a gentleman, then he surely won't decide on being in the company of a loose woman like yourself." And there is was. The spark of hostility was slowly fed more fuel as Ivy nearly gritted her teeth at the sorceress.

Veran smirked. "Oh, would you look at that. My smug look came back – thank you for your assistance."

"I told you to watch it." Ivy nearly growled back through seething glares. "As a guest, I prefer not to participate in mindless barbaric activities but you are testing my patience woman! Keep your mouth shut unless you want me to permanently silence you."

"A death threat?" Veran said with a stifled snicker. "Threats are nothing but violence clad in words. I'd say you have already engaged in barbaric activities, _brute_."

Veran couldn't help but to stifle a sudden burst of laughter. Ivy's stare was so intense, she reckoned that Ivy wasn't even blinking. The white-haired head was slightly craned to its right as Ivy glared at the woman, silent and motionless. Oh how Veran enjoyed stepping on people's toes.

'_Time for the final nail into the coffin!´_ "Why not complete the circle and rip that ridiculous clothing off and yell _"Me angry woman! Me smash puny sorceress!" _and be done with your charade, you vulgar whore."

By the time that Ivy's was ready to strike, Veran had already teleported away to the other side of the river, catching everyone's attention. With a loud war cry, the British noblewoman dashed after her via the nearby bridge.

**:::::::**

The other women and Link was startled out of their peaceful trance of admiration of nature as Ivy's war cry echoed in the valley. Instantly turning to the source of the outburst, they saw Ivy rapidly closing in on a defenceless Veran. The whip-sword flailed its extended form through the air in its slicing glory, ready to rend flesh much to Link's horror. Without a second thought, he ran towards the two. And by the looks of it, Samus, Impa and Sophitia were thinking the same.

"I-Ivy!" Sophitia cried out. "Cease this immediately! What's gotten into you?!"

"Be silent!" Ivy snapped back without a glance, her whip-sword narrowly missing its intended target; in its wake, a deep, thin line was cut in the earth. "I've had enough of this woman! I'll shut her mouth up permanently!"

"What is this all about?! Didn't I tell you all to-" Link's speech was cut short. With a mighty dash, Impa pushed the young man aside, her kodachi(1) unsheathed.

"This is not the time for words lad!" She yelled back at him. "I will not allow violence in Her Grace's presence. Lady Valentine, cease your actions immediately! I won't repeat myself."

As another swipe of the whip-sword missed Veran narrowly, the noblewoman turned her attention towards the incoming Sheikah. With the last shreds of her British composure and clear-mindedness burnt out at Veran's hands, Ivy's rationality had become twisted. It was no secret to her that Impa was also a rival, and seeing said woman coming at her with weapon drawn sent the British noblewoman onto defensive. A flick of the wrist, and the whip-sword coiled around Impa's ankle at the speed of the wind, robbing the Sheikah of her balance.

She landed on the ground with a thud, quickly attempting to get up on her feet again only to see Ivy about land a deadly blow on Veran.

Zelda gasped out loud in fright as the blade was swiftly descending on Link's friend. Impa cursed mentally as she struggled to get to Ivy in time, as did Sophitia and Samus.

"NO! Don't do it Ivy!" Link yelled out in panic. "STOP!"

It had all seemed like the day would end with an unforeseen and gruesome bloodbath. As the edge of the sword was about to rend the flesh, and in doing so take the life of a friend, Veran did the unthinkable, if not impossible.

She vanished. Just before the final inch of the deadly strike, Veran disappeared from sight in a faint black smoke. The sword dug deep into the ground as a result with Ivy, along with the rest of the group in complete shock and disarray.

"What the bloody hell?!" Ivy cursed out loud. Bewildered, she searched with widened eyes as she pulled up her sword from the ground, frantically searching for Veran. As did the others, but to no avail.

"Where did she go?!" Sophitia was next to yell out. "How could she just vanish into thin air?!" Samus on the other hand had put her helmet back on – scanning the area just as fixating as Ivy. Only Link remained somewhat calm at first as he thought it over, albeit slightly stressed out.

_´She did claim to be a sorceress, but I didn't think she could even teleport at will- Wait! Teleport… The only beings I've seen that have been able to teleport like that were the Wizzrobes… No, don't tell me…!´_

Sharply, Link looked up at one of the stone pillars to confirm his dreaded suspicions. To his horror, he found out that they were correct. Standing atop of the naturally made pillar, Veran boasted a loud, ominous laughter that caught everyone's attention and shock.

"Over here, woman!" She yelled, laughing all the while as Ivy blinked her eyes in disbelief.

Link stifled his gasp. _´I knew it! She must be similar to those Wizzrobes! But that means- Oh no! The only reason they teleport away is to…!´_

The young Hero turned to Ivy in horror. "Ivy, get out of the way!"

"Time to repay your friendliness, harlot!" Veran laughed raising her hand up to the sky. To everyone's further shock, magical fire began to ball up into a sphere above her before she lunged it down at Ivy. The noblewoman just barely managed to jump out of the way of the scorching blast; the spot she had stood on moments ago was nothing but a small, burnt crater.

Link turned back to Veran, a look of anger crossing his features. "Miss Veran! Enough of this! I don't know what you two are fighting about but I-"

An armoured hand patted him on the shoulders as orange came into his field of vision. "Leave her to me Link!" Samus had said as she readied her arm cannon, aiming it at the sorceress.

"Samus! No, you'll kill her with that blast! At least use something less-"

"She tried to kill your busty friend just a moment ago, why are you defending her! But don't worry, I'll aim at below her feet – the river should provide an ample landing."

"What can you possibly do with that chunk of metal scrap?!" Ivy scoffed in anger. "If you haven't been able to see through that quirky helmet of yours, that witch is using magic! She'll just teleport again!" Samus didn't give Ivy a second glance at the crude remark. She didn't even need to check for Aveil, whom was eyeing the bounty hunter with an equally sceptical look. With the exception of Link, Zelda and Sheik, the others had already declared her as anything but a warrior. But she would show them in just a second just what kind of warrior she was.

The bounty hunter grinned, ignoring the pleas of Link and the crude statements of the other women. As Veran began to summon another magical bolt of fire, so did Samus charge up her arm cannon to its maximum capacity. There would be nothing half-assed; she would show them a portion of her full power and arsenal.

The cannon shook and glowed as the slowly growing charged up beam balled up, shining brightly with its intergalactic mass and power. The pleas grew louder, and the mocking voices died out – the charged up beam was nearly complete, and the spectators stared in awe and disbelief.

_´What?! I thought she didn't rely on magic! How can she-! No matter! This blast should at least knock them all away without too much damage… After all, I don't want to risk my handsome Hero any wounds…´_ Veran thought with glee. As she threw her firebolt down from her pillar, Samus fired her beam – and the valley was for a second dancing the light of crimson and white.

It was in sheer shock that everyone present was gawking at the foreign beam of power that passed through the magical fire, dispersing it in the process and obliterated the pillar. Chunks of stone scattered across the valley, accompanied only by a loud screech. Once the dust and rubble had settled, there was no sound being heard. Only the noise of the flowing river and the gasping coughs of a soaked sorceress climbing up on the river's edge.

Link sighed in relief over Veran's survival, though his animosity was not forgotten. But as he had been before, so was he now ignored as Ivy, Samus, Aveil and even Sophitia rushed over to Veran, weapons at the ready.

Veran got up, soaked and angered as she spotted the group charging towards her. Link was close behind yelling at them, but her ears remained deaf on his words. Granted, she was the cause of this sudden battle royale, but she did not enjoy seeing herself getting ganged upon.

_´So you wish to all fight me head on? Very well!´_

"I can't help but feel that I'm at an unfair disadvantage here!" Veran yelled mockingly at the group. With the simple, but spell-coated gestures of her hands, they began to glow a dark, eerie light. The group didn't even seem to care at the point, as hell bent on taking Veran down as they were.

"Don't tell me she's going to… Damn it, what is she up to now?!" Link yelled to himself. "Veran, stop it already! That goes for you lot as well!"

"My apologies Link, my dear" Veran yelled back. "but this might but some fright in your bones!" The sorceress laughed out loud as she finished her spell just in time – the other women was just about to reach her when the shadows suddenly grew darker, and wider, till they stormed out of the ground-based portals.

The shadow beings roared in dark-pitched voices, similar to a mindless beast as she emerged, stunning everyone including Link right on the spot. Now it was clear to everyone else besides the Hero just what kind of magic Veran favoured, but the shadows themselves were not the true source of their dread.

With ebon blades and shields at their disposal, the beings laughed and roared as they stepped out of the shadows. With their hair sporting a sickly shade of grey and white, they stood firm and tall against the women, clad in the darkest of clothes that was almost a complete mirror image of the Hero's clothes. Their skin was equally dark, and their eyes glowed red as blood, eyes that glared soullessly at their opponents.

With the middle one raising its sword with a might war cry, the shadow beings ran forward in a larger group towards the horrified women. There was no doubt about it – they were;

"_SHADOW LINKS!" _Zelda screamed in horror. Veran's laughter echoed across the valley.

* * *

(1) A kodachi is a traditional japanese short-sword which is literally translated into "small/short sword". Impa's official artwork as well as an official artwork of her and Link battling some monsters depcits Impa wielding a kodachi.

Anyway, I hope as always that you enjoyed the update! The fire between them will eventually die out, dont worry. But the rivalry will remain ;)

I will try to not keep you waiting for so long till next update.


	7. Blood and Sweat but No Tears

Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters or their respective franchise; Legend of Zelda and Metroid belongs to Nintendo, while Soul Calibur belongs to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing fiction.

Hello again! I'm back from my much needed vacation, finally! My apologies to have kept you all waiting, and for the short chapter - I promise the next ones will be longer. ^^

**A Hylian's Harem**

**Chapter 7**

_Blood and Sweat, but No Tears_

Aveil, Ivy, Sophitia and Samus had all been halted in their tracks as Veran's wicked sorcery manifested before their eyes, forming what looked exactly like Link! Multiple copies of the Hero, cloaked in the blackness that was shadows, and currently rushing towards them ready for battle.

It wasn't sure of just what had ceased their advance – was it the fact that Veran had such powerful magic at her disposal, which begged the question just who she truly was. Or was it because she could create what was now known as _Shadow Links_; dark images of their beloved Hero, for her disposal. Or perhaps it was a mixture of both, or maybe even just the simple fact that Veran was not what she seemed to be – Cunning, magically adept and backed up with strong power.

The Shadow Apparitions, five in total, ran towards the women with swords held high. The middle one, who also was the spearhead, had his eyes fixed on the closest woman that was Ivy and jumped into the air for the jump-strike.

The noblewoman evaded the strike narrowly, jumping backwards in time to have her opponent land right in front of her, its sword now stuck deep into the ground. Wasting no time, Ivy allowed her newfound vigour course through her – and quickly kicked the dark image in the face, sharply, with her heel to send the shadow Link rolling across the ground to the side.

By the time her heeled boot returned to the ground, the other Shadow Links had clashed with the other women, including Ivy; after all, they were four against five at the moment.

Seeing the second one charging at her Ivy flicked her wrist, slackening her sword into its whip-state and launched the extended weapon at the enemy. With a dark-pitched scream, the Shadow Link was swung through the air and landed into the river while the other women were occupied with their own battles, but not before Samus had fired away a second blast to obliterate her opponent.

But the battle was far from over.

Link ran as fast as he could to the other side of the river where they were, past the field of battle and towards Veran – the sorceress had already created two more to replace their fallen comrades and dispatched them with a smug grin.

"Veran!" Link yelled as he ran, earning the sorceress' attention. "Stop this right now! You've gone far enough!"

She merely shot him a stare, riddled with confusion. "Perhaps I have. But I do have a just cause for it Link, that scantily clad friend of yours got on my nerves. So I responded in kind, to which she decided to draw her weapon."

"That's hardly a justified course of action! Veran, stop this right NOW! I don't know what kind of magic you're wielding but you're scaring everyone! What's the deal -" He gestured wildly at the dark images. "with them?!"

Veran laughed softly, covering her mouth to stifle it with the backside of her hand. "Link, Link… I told you before. Is this still so surprising? Now, why don't you stay put and allow me to finish this? It should be over eventually…."

Link stared at her appalled. Veran appeared so casual about this; granted she had indeed told him of who she was, but she was so nonchalant about this that it baffled him. As his eyes looked back at his friends, he grew even more distressed; Ivy and Sophitia worked together to ward off their attackers, and Samus had an advantage with her agility and technology, but they all remained at the disadvantage when it came to numbers now.

More Shadow Links had been spawned, and even if Aveil and Impa now helped, the dark copies were slowly wearing them out. With each Shadow Link being slain and reduced to shadows, another one took its place. Blades clashed in the middle of the valley as Zelda watched with horror behind the alerted Sheik, with dark-pitched roars and various screams filled the air. One by one the Shadow Links fell, but they kept coming back without rest.

Aveil kept them skilfully at bay with her dual scimitars while Samus blasted them to nothingness one by one, but the constant attacks was taking its toll on them – Samus was barely able to evade the barrage of sword-strikes and ended up taking unnecessary hits while Aveil had ended up with a few cuts on her arms, all while Ivy and Sophitia stood back-to-back and fended off their attacks as best as they could.

Impa on the other hand had managed to slay her fair number of the dark beings, but cautious as she was, she remained on the side where she could keep an eye out for the princess.

The sight of it all made Link's stomach turn. Everything had been so well and almost perfect and now it looked like whatever fiendish underworld that existed had opened up.

His fists had balled up into trembling fists. Zelda had taken the trouble to prepare a simple tour for Link to see the changes that had happened while he was away, and she had even allowed him to bring his friends who had showed up unannounced. She had done all of this without the blink of an eye and this is what they decided to do? Link couldn't care any less of who had started it all; they had all participated in it one way or another.

Veran kept laughing behind him, most likely at the state that the other guests were in. Sorceress or not, Link felt that he had wasted enough time on words.

With a quick spin towards Veran, Link raised his open hand and let it sharply connect with the woman's cheek. It's equally sharp sound prompted the Princess to look over in disbelief as Link's right hand flew in a horizontal line, with Veran's head following the same direction.

The sorceress stumbled a few steps to the side, her turquoise cheek now slightly red on the left side. It stung as she reached up and barely grazed the skin. Her eyes, widened with astonishment, were locked with Link's sharply blue ones – his gaze was as piercing as an arrowhead and cold as the winter nights.

He was angry.

"Enough is enough Veran." He said sternly. "Stop this. Now."

His voice was rich with command, holding its weight in a tone that was hard to ignore. It was nearly menacing in a way to see this man act so cold, even though she hardly knew him. But without a second though, Veran snapped her fingers; the Shadow Links dispersed into shadowy matter which in turn dissolved into nothingness. The battle was over.

"You wait here." Link said sternly, keeping his eyes on Veran until he had turned completely around. As he walked, Veran remained in motionless in her disbelief. Her cheek still stung when she tried to touch it, but the pain went by unnoticed. She stared longingly at his back as he walked away, her face now glazed with a blushed lust as she licked the fingers that had touched her cheek.

_´You dare to defy me and my right to cast judgement upon them… You're so wonderfully cruel, Link…´_

The other women witnessed his new look in his eyes with mixed feelings of admiration and disarray as he walked over to the princess. His gaze softened upon meeting her equally blue eyes.

He let out a deep sigh. "Zelda… I… I can't find the right words to ever make up for my apology for this… Whatever I could call it." He said with his head lowered. "I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for not foreseeing this… You'd planned this supposedly wonderful afternoon and yet –"

"Link please!" Zelda interrupted. "Don't blame yourself for this! You didn't know-"

"It shouldn't have happened either way." He replied. He raised his head, meeting the princess's eyes. "Zelda… I'm sorry to ask this selfish request, but… Could you have a word with the others? As the hostess, it would be better if you spoke with them regarding… well, anything that ensures this won't be repeated."

The princess didn't fully motion a reply; it was the stare that said neither yes nor no, but "perhaps". "… What do you intend to do then, Link?"

"I need to have a word with Veran." As he replied, Link's face grew stern and sharp again. It was obvious that he was angered. "Preferably alone."

Zelda nodded. "Very well. Tell you what, I'll walk back to the castle with everyone – if you wish, you can borrow one of the many rooms to talk with your guest. Otherwise, I'll see you later then I take it?" With Link just nodding, the two turned completely around and went their separate ways. Sheik and Impa both motioned for the other women to follow the princess, having overheard the conversation, while Link walked towards the still frozen in place sorceress. He noticed her flushed cheeks, but filed the question away for later – right now, he had to have a serious talk with her.

"Look, Veran…" Link began. "I'm not going to beat around the bush… So, what in the name of the Goddesses happened?! I turned my back for a second and the next thing I see, you and Ivy are fighting to the death!"

Snapping out of her light daze, the sorceress looked back at Link – His cold, yet heated gaze that was directed at her made her body grow warm, a constant reminder of his commanding attitude that served as a secret source of adulterous mirth for her. She tried to regain her composure as she straightened up and tried to meet his gaze.

"It… It wasn't simply like that, Link… That woman had the nerve to throw her remarks all around the place and-"

"I know Ivy, Veran." Link said, interrupting. "I know she can be… different, at times towards others. She has an unfortunate habit to get under peoples skin. However, I don't see how that could've led to the chaos that was on just minutes ago! Do you even realize what you've done?! You ruined a perfectly good even that Zelda had arranged, and you've even helped destroy a good portion of the valley!" Link pinched the bridge of his nose. "And don't even let me get started on those Shadow Images of me… Did you use those on… well, me from your time?"

"Call it a weakness." Veran said shyly. Her eyes averted from Link's completely as she spoke. "It was… a guilty pleasure of mine I guess. To have him… you…battle exact copies of him…or… you… the Hero nonetheless! And-"

"You do realize you scared me, and most of all Zelda with that trick, right? It's been a very long time…But the scars Ganondorf left behind after his attempt to usurp dominion over the entire world has not fully healed. Veran, your display right now will have dire consequences. If Zelda ever finds out that you are one of his servants, even if it's from another time, you'll be in trouble."

Veran grinned at the man. "So you're confronting me because you care about me? Good to know…"

"Enough Veran! I'm being serious here! What you did is inexcusable, and I don't want to see a repeat of it! You could've seriously harmed someone! I don't even know if you've already have! Damn it…"

"…Did all of this mean that much to you and the princess?"

"Of course it did! And I was hoping it would be significant to you as well! Seeing that you don't have a chance to go back to your own… lifestyle or whatever I could call it!"

Veran looked deeply back into his eyes at that moment. He was right; she couldn't go back to her own time, or pursue the same ambitions any more. The only thing that had allowed her to jump in time was the borrowed and manipulated powers of Nayru, the Oracle of Ages. And if the Hero in this time had already sealed Ganon away, then what hope was there to achieve the same goal? Besides, she couldn't deny the fact that this Hero was much more than meets the eye. For the better nonetheless.

"… Very well."

Link looked back at Veran. "Huh?"

"I like to see myself as the bigger woman. If this really meant that much to you… then I shall apologise to the princess. I can't promise that I'll be able to make up for it, but… It's a start right?"

Link didn't reply to her at first in his mild bafflement. But then it simply struck him to stifle laughter, his cool and soft features resurfacing again as he smiled. "I think an apology won't be enough for the others, but I suppose it's a first step. I just pray you didn't seriously injure anyone…"

Veran scoffed with a frown. "They didn't seem to be that bothered by my shadowy minions…"

"We'll see about that. Let's just get back to the castle. I don't want to keep them all waiting."

"If you say so." Veran replied. She hated this outcome – to actually apologise. She couldn't even remember the time she apologised sarcastically, even less seriously. Still, that's how it had to be. Hopefully the mental torture of having to do that would be over quite quickly.

But that was only an obstacle she could easily conquer. After all – in her own mind, she was a step closer to the man she had begun to adore and want. It was an unorthodox way to start a budding relationship, but this alone time was a small victory regardless. She was indeed closer to bagging Link, claiming him as her own.

Unfortunately, this event had most likely made the others aware of the true intentions of one another. Especially of Veran's.

Veran knew already. Things would definitely not be smooth sailing from here on.


	8. Night of the First Day

Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters of their respective franchise; Legend of Zelda and Metroid belongs to Nintendo, while Soul Calibur belongs to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing fiction.

**A Hylian's Harem**

**Chapter 8**

_Night of the First Day_

"Are the ladies comfortable enough?" Sheik inquired as she walked into the room, a small basket of medical supplies clinging onto her arm containing bandages, ointment and salves.

The room was decorated with a red rug that covered the floor, with only a few armchairs, a table and lastly a fireplace to which Samus sat in front of. With her armour-suit, the only injuries that had been inflicted were on the blonde Athenian warrior Sophitia and the noble Ivy as well as the Gerudo commando Aveil, who all sat on the various armchairs.

"As comfortable as gets…" Aveil muttered loudly, a bitter tone coating her voice as she mended one of the wounds that resided on her arm by the dark apparitions.

"It could've been worse you know." Aveil shot a displeased gaze at the blonde warrior. "You could've lost your arm entirely. That's why it's good to carry a shield…"

"I'm fine without a shield, girl!" Aveil spat back, tending to the bandage around her arm. The wound stung irksomely.

"Ladies please, behave yourselves. Link should be talking to Miss Veran as of this moment." Impa nearly shouted across the room. With only minor injuries in the form of scratches, Sheik had already mended most of them with a single salve whilst the older Sheikah continued to garner everyone's attention. "Be thankful that you only received minor wounds. Shadow Links are a timeless enemy with as much capability as Link himself."

"Yes, well," Ivy snarled. "bloody hell! That woman-"

"I know you are partly to blame for this as well Lady Valentine." Impa retorted. "But we'll talk about that later. Have your injuries patched up in the meantime."

The noblewoman muttered lowly as she applied the healing ointment, grazing her teeth with a hissing sound as the healing proportions began to work. Impa watched her and the others cautiously, including her younger Sheikah colleague.

_´The hostility towards one another is as clear as day. Just like animals that try to attract the attention of a mate, they are prone to be hostile against competition… This is only speculation, but these women may harbour something deeper for Link – something that even I am guilty of these days.´_

She took a quick look around, silent and unsuspecting. _´I should fear for the worst and wait. As much as I respect and love our Hero, it's no reason to behave immaturely. I must not be brash. Only time will tell who will pull his heartstrings.´_

The sound of oaken gates being opened was carried swiftly into their room.

**:::::::**

"I'm…. I am s…sho…I'm s-so…" Link, Zelda and all the others watched with either mild amusement or bafflement as Veran had knelt down in front of the princess. The two had made their way back to the castle just a short while after the others, and immediately had Link asked for them to gather around.

But even if they knew what Veran was trying to do (the keyword was indeed _trying_) they remained waiting for the actual words – either the sorceress was pulling their leg or she, for whatever reason they couldn't even fathom, didn't know the words. Judging by her pained expression she wore, it was most likely the latter though it did nothing to ease the frustration they all felt as Veran time and time again attempted to pronounce the word.

_´This is so demeaning…´ _Veran eyed the princess who stood before her. The royal blonde just watched her intensively, patiently waiting for the words to leave the sorceress lips. She even tapped her index-finger against her arm, crossed over her chest.

"…I am s-sorr…" She let a prolonged, deep sigh of frustration. Even now, Link was actually starting to wear an appalled look due to Veran's inability to apologise. "I…I am… s-s… Sorry! There! I am s-sorry! For ruining your little tour…." She looked back up at Zelda who clearly didn't look pleased at all. She swore under her shallow breath. "And for my… attempt at your lives… What I did was w-…w…wrong. And…"

"You could've killed us." Zelda suddenly said. Her voice was firm, stern and almost spiteful. "Your wicked sorcery could have overwhelmed us, had we been careless. However, what I'm more curious about is your ability to summon Shadow Links. Care to explain?"

Link was about to step forward when Veran immediately began to explain. Either it was the truth, or she was that good of a liar, Link wouldn't know for sure. What he did know was that her origin would sooner or later have to come to light, but for now he remained silent. The last thing he wanted was to create a wider wound that the one Veran had already caused.

"I can create copies of any person using magically infused shadows… And this time I used the image of our … _dear_ little hero because honestly? I have apparently a different sense of humour. So simple, no mystery."

Link pinched the bridge of his nose. There was 50-50 about how plausible her explanation was, and right now his gut-feeling was betting on how unlikely it would be. Yet, as Zelda observed the sorceress with a narrow gaze there was a sign of distraction – was she contemplating whether or not to believe her or was she simply thinking of her answer? The rest of the women didn't seem to buy it though it was most likely because they didn't accept her form of apology.

"Seeing as this started off as a dispute between you and Lady Valentine," Zelda resumed. "I expect you two to sort out your differences in a more mature manner. I will… forgive you this time, Miss Veran. And that is mostly because you are Link's friend. But I will not tolerate another mishap."

Only Link could her the faint mutter Veran let out under her breath. "You're too kind, princess. It… It won't happen again."

"Then your apology is accepted, Miss Veran." Zelda replied. "I can't speak for the others however, but I trust you can sort things out like adults. Impa, Link, would you two be so kind and follow me please? I need to talk to you in privacy if I may."

The two aforementioned individuals nodded as they followed their princess out of the room and further down the hallway, taking a turn to the right to escape from view as effectively as possible.

The moment they were out of sight, Ivy snapped back around towards the sorceress, a fierce glare residing in her eyes. Veran met them head-on with smugness.

"The princess may have forgiven you wench, but I have not. Mark my word; I'll have you beheaded myself!"

"Oh my, but you sound fierce…" Veran replied. She crossed her arms over her chest, feigning a hurt expression. "I am absolutely trembling by your words. Tell me, who was it that tried to commit murder on who again? I want to recall that I merely defended myself in a situation where the odds were against me. Four against one to be exact."

"We stepped in because you proved to be dangerous to face alone." Sophitia said sternly as she too crossed her arms. "I may not have wished for your death Lady Sorceress, but you were out of control at that moment."

"Tch."

"And if I'm not mistaken, you were prepared to kill us without any hesitation. If Link had not intervened when he did-"

"Yes alright, I get the picture!" Veran snapped at the blonde. "I already told the princess I wouldn't do it again, despite how irksome you lot is"

"How reassuring." Everyone turned to the bounty hunter who stood tall against the wall. Her helmet was tucked under her left arm, allowing her icy-blue eyes stare at the rest of the group but particularly at Veran. "I have a hard time believing your words, woman."

_´Not that I dare trust the others either for that matter…´_ She thought bitterly. _´I suspect they view Link far more than as a friend… I should know. I could be wrong however; I better remain silent and act accordingly. Though that Veran-woman is definitely romantically interested in him.´_

**::::::**

"What's on your mind, Your Highness?" Impa inquired. The princess sighed before checking that the coast was clear of eavesdroppers.

"I would like to ask you two of a favour… No, that's not the right word… I have an important task for you."

"What is it Zelda?" Link asked next. "Is it regarding the others?" Zelda nodded.

"Yes. I can't say I'm proud of having to ask you like this, but I can't sit idle… I want you two to keep a watchful eye on them." Link arched an eyebrow curiously but Zelda seemingly anticipated it and continued ceaselessly. "I know it to be very rude towards your friends Link. But after what happened earlier, I can't just let it slide without a form of insurance. Just keep an eye on them and intervene as soon as something happens… They may be your friends Link, but they are guests at my castle."

"Friends and guests with weapons and magic…" Impa added, her red eyes now shifting over at Link. The blonde Hero sighed with a nod.

"I understand. I'll do it. But shouldn't you tell-"

"Sheik is watching them as we speak." Zelda smiled, to which Link chuckled.

"Always a step ahead. Very well Zelda, consider it done."

"You have my word as well." Impa said. "We'll keep our eyes on them."

The princess bowed lightly with a smile. "Thank you the both of you. Perhaps now I can go to bed without having to worry…"

"Crud!" Impa and Zelda simultaneously looked at Link in his sudden outburst. "I forgot about that! Where will everyone sleep?" He inquired.

Impa patted the young man on the shoulder reassuringly. "The castle has more than enough spare bedrooms. They should be located in the same corridor as yours I believe." _´Which is why I will have to keep a watchful eye out…´_

"Oh…" Link replied in relief. "That's good then. I was worried for a moment that there wouldn't be enough room for everyone…"

"It's a castle, Link. If anything, we have _too many_ rooms." The princess giggled at her own little joke. "Still, if we kindly return back to the matters at hand. Our little adventure appears to have devoured time; it's nearly time for dinner."

"Already? It can't possibly be that late already can it?" Link asked sceptically.

Impa turned to him. "It's only early in the evening, but it is still evening. Our little tour took enough time, and then there was the incident…Your Highness, shall I have the cooks begin the meal for tonight?"

"Only if it's not too much trouble Impa." Zelda answered kindly. "Thank you." As the tall Sheikah woman bowed and shortly after left the room, the princess turned to the young blonde.

"Link, before you go there's something I have to ask you…" She began. Link didn't reply, but his eyes were solely focused on her, an indication to that he was fully listening. "It's just a thought that I've had, it only just now occurred to me." She paused herself, allowing her eyes to wander briefly as she did.

"Link, have you ever thought of one day just… settle down? To permanently hang up the mantle and maybe start a family?"

"A family?" Zelda nodded at him. Link scratched his neck, locked in thoughts. His face was nearly dumbstruck and appalled by the sudden question; it was clear that it was definitely new content to think about. Link had probably never even considered the thought of having a child in the future.

"A family… That's… I don't know to be honest. I mean, it's not like I'm against the idea! I would probably love the idea of having a son or a daughter in the future, but it's not something I've ever –"

"If I may inquire further," Zelda abruptly added. "If you ever were to settle down, how do you picture the mother? I mean, what is she like?"

Flushed red like a beetroot with embarrassment, Link looked away. There was a hint of a smile on his lips, but he desperately concealed it without resuming eye-contact. "I don't know… W-what's with the sudden questions, Zelda? Is there something-"

"My apologies Link. Don't mind me. I'm just thinking a lot these days, sometimes sharing my thoughts. You can go back to your friends; we'll let you know when dinner is ready."

He nodded. "Okay then." He promptly left the room, still tinted red with the shyness. Behind him Zelda sighed, arms crossed over her chest as she mused. Maybe Link would need a lot more time than she thought.

**:::::::**

"Whatever it is, it smells delicious!" Aveil boasted with glee, licking her lips as if to emphasize her hunger for the food that produced such a mouth-watering aroma. While the others agreed wholeheartedly on the subject they still shot the desert-woman with looks of mild distain, though Link didn't seem to mind. Instead, he laughed as he agreed.

"I can tell you this much, the cooks of this castle are more than adept at the culinary arts." He said with a boyish grin. "You will all love it, trust me on that!"

"I'm eagerly looking forward to it." Ivy replied. "It's been a while since I last had a royal dinner. And especially a dinner with such lovely company." It was noticeable wink, but the young hylian didn't appear to catch up on it like the others did. He smiled.

"As a noble, I assume you have dinners like this one then, Ivy? I would love to pay you a visit sometime, taste some foreign cuisine."

The British noblewoman's eyes lit up at once, a sly grin pulling her lips. "You're welcome to try my cuisine anytime Link…"

"Speaking of paying visits, Link would you want to visit Greece sometime?" Sophitia cheerfully inquired. She had run up to him as they all walked through the corridor, eagerly walking beside him. "I would love to show you around my peoples training grounds, and our gods' temples!"

The young hylian smiled at her. "I would be honoured to pay a visit to your protective gods' sanctum, just as I would be honoured to see your culture's warrior-origin." The blonde Greek giggled softly, happily walking next to the Hero casually but blissfully. Ivy let out silent noise of discontent at the scene, but paid it no further mind; Sophitia was her friend, just like she was her rival. She would give her a sporting chance, irksome as it may be. The rest however did not see it that way and merely allowed the dark thoughts breed in their minds, jealousy engulfing them till they reached the dining hall.

An awe inspiring brilliance that was the room washed over them as they entered the vast area. The roof was high above, crowned with chandeliers. On the floor were similar carpets like in the previous room, but richer in colour and adorned with golden outlining whilst a beautifully sculptured ivory table stood proudly in the middle, surrounded by chairs of the same design. A lit fireplace stood proudly at the opposite end of the room.

The gathering all gasped in sheer amazement. Paintings depicting kings and queens of old decorated the walls, equally awe-inspiring. As the stepped into the room and took a closer look at their surroundings, they noticed that the seats had already been served with food, a plate each filled with the richly flavoured feast that awaited them.

Just as they walked over to the table for closer inspection (roasted lamb with rosemary, served with potatoes and fresh vegetables and a whiskey-based sauce) the princess entered the room as well, accompanied by Impa.

"Please, take a seat." She said with a smile. "The food will go cold otherwise. Enjoy it while it's still hot." She watched her guests with mild interest. Her purpose with the dinner was to take notice of how they all behaved at the table, and to see who would sit where. No doubt would they all want to sit close to Link, the unsuspected guest of honour.

Naturally, Link didn't sit too far from Zelda, nor did Impa. With the princess in the middle, Link to the seat to her right while Impa to her left, thus sitting right in front of the Hero.

Zelda watched the others as subtle as she could manage. It was a cross between appalled and shock that expressed itself as she witnessed the not-so-subtle rush; Samus, Sophitia and Sheik were almost comically walking in a quick pace towards the seat next to Link, equally humorously trying to pass it off nonchalantly. It was neck-to-neck with the shoulder-bumping but in the end Sheik managed to get the seat next to Link, followed by Samus and then Sophitia. On the other side sat Ivy next to Impa, with Aveil and Veran.

"Enjoy the food everyone."

"With pleasure!" Aveil exclaimed. "It looks as delicious as it smells!" Zelda smiled at the Gerudo.

"Indeed, this is quite similar to what royalty eat back in my country." Ivy added with a smirk. "And that's a compliment. I can tell already that this will be a very enjoyable meal."

Zelda giggled lightly at the noblewoman. "By all means, help yourselves. Also, I only drink in moderation, but I'm sure those of you who are a little older might enjoy the wine we have to offer. It's from our royal garden's fruits, so the taste might be a bit foreign to you." As if on cue, a few maids carrying bottles stepped in and began pouring most of the guests a glass of wine. The liquid was leaning towards red in colour. Ivy was the first to raise the glass to her nostrils for a light inhale whilst Samus immediately took a sip.

"It has a pleasant aroma." Ivy commented. "It's definitely fruity, kind of reminds me citrus."

Samus eyed the wine with mild interest. "So this is wine… I reckon you're not supposed to drink it down in one go?" She looked over at the princess who shook her head, smiling at her friend's perception.

"That's correct. Wine is supposed to be drinking slowly, a sip at a time to savour the taste." She replied. _´So far, so good… I just pray that they don't begin bickering and ruin the dinner as well…´_

"So, Your Highness." Zelda looked over at the Greek blonde who smiled at her. "Any special activities planned for the evening?"

Zelda shook her head. "I'm afraid not. We could head to the parlour and learn more about each other, but no special events have crossed my mind for tonight. So for tonight we will all probably go to bed a bit earlier."

_´Bed…´_ Samus thought. "Speaking of beds Zelda, I haven't even asked you about where to sleep. If it's too much of a hassle, I still have my ship-"

"There's plenty of rooms Samus, don't you worry." The princess quickly answered. Before she could let out another syllable, all eyes were immediately upon her and the albeit vague murmurs of conversation silenced.

"That's an excellent question, where _will_ we sleep if you don't mind me asking?" Veran inquired, to which Ivy agreed wholeheartedly. Zelda was about to answer when she once again was interrupted, but this time it was untimely Link who beat her to it.

"There are spare guestrooms in the same corridor as mine. I can show you all later." Link replied casually, quickly resuming his own meal as he did. He had yet to notice the stares he was currently receiving.

With the exclusion of Sheik, Impa and the princess, the women all stared at the hero with confident smiles. Even Samus, who were usually cool-headed, wore a light grin as she glanced at him while sipping on her wine.

Zelda sighed silently. Of course, they would have been informed sooner or later, but now was just the most inappropriate of times. Even now she dreaded the thoughts brought by paranoia what might occur when it was time to go to sleep.

_´Link you dolt…´ _She lamented. Things would surely spiral out of control again, in one form or the other.

* * *

What shenanigans can we expect when all suitors are sleeping in the same corridor?


End file.
